Systems and methods for EMS device communications interface

ABSTRACT

A system for supplementing communications capabilities of a patient monitoring device, the system including an interface device configured to communicably couple with and to receive the patient monitoring information from the patient monitoring device, a memory device hosted by the interface device and configured to store at least a portion of the patient monitoring information, a wireless transceiver hosted by the interface device, a database hosted by the interface device; and a processor communicably coupled to the wireless transceiver and the asset management database, the processor configured to format the patient monitoring information into one or more data objects, each of the one or more data objects associated with an EMS incident during which the patient monitoring information was gathered, the processor further configured to store the one or more data objects to the database and to transmit the one or more data objects with the wireless transceiver.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of Patent Cooperation TreatyApplication No. PCT/US2011/031868, filed on Apr. 9, 2011, which claimsthe benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/322,675, filed Apr.9, 2010, and of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/434,812, filed Jan.20, 2011, all of which are incorporated herein by reference for allpurposes.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to emergencymedical services information management, and more particularly tocollection, organization, and communication of information gathered froma device used in emergency medical services.

BACKGROUND

Devices that are used to gather patient monitoring information inemergency medical services (“EMS”) applications, for exampledefibrillator devices, are often complex and expensive devices,primarily because they serve a very important purpose in an EMS setting,and must be durable, accurate, and reliable. The communicationscapabilities of such devices are often limited by their hardware, suchthat users must choose between buying a new defibrillator or continuingto use the same, often slower, communications interfaces available withan older defibrillator. A retrofit solution that involves changing theexisting hardware or software of the device may be almost as costly andtime-consuming to implement as device replacement itself.

Existing patient monitoring devices store various kinds of informationduring use. Users wishing to upload or download such information,typically after an incident or after a certain period of time (e.g. atthe end of the day or end of the week), are often limited to retrievingonly the entire content of the device's memory card, regardless ofwhether the user is interested in only a specific subset of the entirecard's contents. This increases the time necessary for data transfer, aswell as the time necessary to sort the data and/or identify the desiredsubset of the data.

SUMMARY

A system for supplementing communications capabilities of a patientmonitoring device configured to monitor a patient and to make availablepatient monitoring information according to an embodiment of the presentinvention includes an interface device configured to communicably couplewith and to receive the patient monitoring information from the patientmonitoring device, a memory device hosted by the interface device andconfigured to store at least a portion of the patient monitoringinformation, a wireless transceiver hosted by the interface device, anasset management database hosted by the interface device, and aprocessor communicably coupled to the wireless transceiver and the assetmanagement database, the processor configured to format the patientmonitoring information into one or more data objects, each of the one ormore data objects associated with an EMS incident during which thepatient monitoring information was gathered, the processor furtherconfigured to store the one or more data objects to the asset managementdatabase and to transmit the one or more data objects with the wirelesstransceiver.

Such a system may include an implementation wherein the processor isfurther configured to receive, via the wireless transceiver, a requestfor data objects associated with a specific EMS incident, query theasset management database to retrieve all data objects associated withthe specific EMS incident, and to transmit the data objects associatedwith the specific EMS incident with the wireless transceiver.

Such a system may include an implementation wherein the patientmonitoring device is a defibrillator, and wherein the one or more dataobjects comprises one or more ECG waveforms. The one or more dataobjects may also comprise patient waveforms, which may include up toeight ECG waveforms, invasive blood pressure waveforms, SpO₂ waveforms,EtCO2 waveforms, CPR waveforms, and/or impedance respiration waveforms.A number of parameters may represent patient Vital information, such asfor example heart rate, NIBP measurements, temperature measurements, andothers.

Such a system may include an implementation wherein the patientmonitoring device comprises an audio device configured to generate aheart sound signal from a patient, and wherein the processor is furtherconfigured to format the heart sound signal into the one or more heartsound data objects.

Such a system may include an implementation comprising an electronicstethoscope configured to connect with the processor and receive the oneor more heart sound data objects.

A method for streaming patient information from a clinical deviceaccording to embodiments of the present invention includes establishinga wireless data connection with the clinical device, receiving patientinformation from the clinical device via the wireless data connection atleast once every five seconds, displaying at least a portion of thepatient information in an emergency medical services mobile environment.

Such a method may include an implementation wherein the clinical deviceis a defibrillator.

Such a method may include an implementation wherein receiving thepatient information comprises receiving the patient information from theclinical device via the wireless data connection at least once everysecond.

Such a method may include an implementation wherein the wireless dataconnection is a secure WiFi connection.

Such a method may include an implementation wherein the patientinformation is clinical information, the method further comprisingreceiving non-clinical information and displaying the clinicalinformation and the non-clinical information simultaneously in theemergency medical services mobile environment.

Such a method may include an implementation wherein the patientinformation comprises an ECG waveform.

Such a method may include an implementation wherein the patientinformation comprises a heart rate.

Such a method may include an implementation wherein the patientinformation comprises an ECG waveform.

Such a method may include an implementation including receiving fulldisclosure data from the clinical device, formatting the full disclosuredata into one or more data elements, wherein the one or more dataelements comprise a full disclosure record XML object, wherein the fulldisclosure record XML object, and/or each element within the fulldisclosure XML object, comprises a time identifier, an incidentidentifier, and clinical information associated with a time identifiedby the time identifier and an incident identified by the incidentidentifier, and sending the full disclosure record XML object over thewireless data connection as the patient information.

Such a method may include an implementation comprising storing the oneor more data objects in a computer readable medium.

Such a method may include an implementation including sending a requestover the wireless data connection, the request including a particularincident identifier, retrieving from the computer readable medium andadding to a response set each of the one or more data objects for whichthe incident identifier corresponds to the particular incidentidentifier of the request, and sending the response set over thewireless data connection.

Such a method may include an implementation comprising displaying atleast a portion of the response set in the emergency medical servicesmobile environment.

A method for supplementing communications capabilities of a patientmonitoring device configured to monitor a patient and to make availablepatient monitoring information according to an embodiment of the presentinvention includes receiving the patient monitoring information from thepatient monitoring device to an EMS communication interface device,storing the patient monitoring information to a memory hosted by the EMScommunication interface device, formatting the patient monitoringinformation into a stream of one or more data objects, each of the oneor more data objects associated with an EMS incident during which thepatient monitoring information was gathered, storing the one or moredata objects to a database, or an asset management database, hosted bythe EMS communication interface device, and transmitting the stream ofone or more data objects via a wireless transceiver of the EMScommunication interface device.

A method according to an embodiment of the present invention includestransmitting clinical data about a patient from a defibrillator deviceto an external device via a wireless network connection while thedefibrillator device is actively monitoring the patient during anemergency medical treatment or transport.

Such a method may include an implementation wherein the clinical datacomprises a plurality of ECG waveforms, the method further comprisingdisplaying one or more historical snapshots of the plurality of ECGwaveforms on a display device, wherein the display device is independentof the defibrillator device.

Such a method may include an implementation wherein displaying the oneor more historical snapshots of the plurality of ECG waveforms comprisesdisplaying a most recent ECG waveform of the plurality of ECG waveformssimultaneously with another of the one or more historical snapshots ofthe plurality of ECG waveforms.

Such a method may include an implementation wherein the external deviceis a display device located within an emergency response vehicle.

Such a method may include an implementation wherein the emergencyresponse vehicle is an ambulance.

Such a method may include an implementation comprising transmitting theclinical data to a remote server (e.g. an enterprise server) to enableweb browser access to the clinical data while the defibrillator deviceis actively monitoring the patient during the emergency medicaltreatment or transport.

While multiple embodiments are disclosed, still other embodiments of thepresent invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art fromthe following detailed description, which shows and describesillustrative embodiments of the invention. Accordingly, the drawings anddetailed description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature andnot restrictive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a system for mobile and enterprise user real-timedisplay of medical information collected from multiple different EMSdevices, according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates one example of a menu template for the display of a“back of ambulance” (“BOA”) device, according to embodiments of thepresent invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates a display and graphical user interface displayed whenthe user selects the navigation button of the menu template, accordingto embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates a display and graphical user interface displayed whenthe user selects the patient monitoring button of the menu template,according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates a display and graphical user interface displayed whenthe user selects the patient charting button of the menu template,according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 6 illustrates a display and graphical user interface displayed whenthe user selects the “patch notes” button of the menu template,according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 7 illustrates a display and graphical user interface displayed whenthe user selects the protocols button of the menu template, according toembodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 8 illustrates an enterprise display and graphical user interfaceshown when the enterprise user selects the patient monitoring button,according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 9 illustrates an enterprise display and graphical user interfaceshown when the enterprise user selects the navigation button, accordingto embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 10 illustrates an enterprise display and graphical user interfaceshown when the enterprise user selects the patient charting button,according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 11 illustrates a treatment domain system overview for real-timedisplay of medical information collected from multiple different EMSdevices, according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 12 illustrates a device adapter/communication engine and medicaldevice interface, according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 13 illustrates an exemplary pipe, according to embodiments of thepresent invention.

FIG. 14 illustrates a method performed by a pipe of the device adapterthat uses discovery supporting transport, according to embodiments ofthe present invention.

FIG. 15 illustrates a method performed by a pipe of the device adapterthat uses non-discovery supporting transport, according to embodimentsof the present invention.

FIG. 16 illustrates a method performed by a BOA module, according toembodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 17 illustrates a method performed by a BOA module, according toembodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 18 illustrates an exemplary computer system, according toembodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 19 illustrates a system for mobile and enterprise user real-time orclinical time display of medical information collected from multipledifferent EMS devices, according to embodiments of the presentinvention.

FIG. 20 illustrates a carrier board design for an EMS communicationinterface device, according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 21 illustrates a system overview for an EMS communication interfacedevice, according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 22 illustrates another system overview for an EMS communicationinterface device, according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 23 illustrates a software logic diagram for an EMS communicationinterface device, according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 24 illustrates a conventional mesh network.

FIG. 25 illustrates an indoor geolocation system.

FIG. 26 illustrates an example explanation of differential diagnosis ofacute dyspnea in adults.

FIG. 27 illustrates an example explanation of clues to differentialdiagnosis of dyspnea.

FIG. 28 illustrates an example listing of physical exam findings in thediagnosis of acute dyspnea.

FIGS. 29A and 29B show an example treatment protocol for asthma, COPD,and acute decompensated heart failure.

FIG. 30 illustrates a data transmission interface, according toembodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 31 illustrates an EMS communication interface transmissionprocessing block diagram, according to embodiments of the presentinvention.

FIG. 32 illustrates a EMS communications interface device clientarchitecture, according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 33 illustrates an enterprise display and graphical user interfaceshown when the enterprise user selects the patient monitoring button,according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 34 illustrates an enterprise display and graphical user interfaceshown when the enterprise user selects the patient charting button,according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 35 illustrates an enterprise display and graphical user interfaceshown when the enterprise user selects the navigation button, accordingto embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 36 illustrates an alternative enterprise display and graphical userinterface shown when the enterprise user selects the navigation button,according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 37 illustrates an enterprise display and graphical user interfaceshown when the enterprise user selects the patch notes button, accordingto embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 38 illustrates a display and graphical user interface displayedwhen the user selects the patient charting button of a BOA menutemplate, according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 39 illustrates a display and graphical user interface displayedwhen the user selects the patient monitoring button of a BOA menutemplate, according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 40 illustrates a display and graphical user interface displayedwhen the user selects the navigation button of a BOA menu template,according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 41 illustrates an alternative display and graphical user interfacedisplayed when the user selects the navigation button of a BOA menutemplate, according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 42 illustrates a display and graphical user interface displayedwhen the user selects the shift start button of a BOA menu template,according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 43 illustrates an alternative display and graphical user interfacedisplayed when the user selects the navigation button of a BOA menutemplate, according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 44 illustrates a display and graphical user interface displayedwhen the user selects the patch notes button of a BOA menu template,according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 45 illustrates a display and graphical user interface displayedwhen the user selects a live patient data button of a BOA menu template,according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 46 illustrates a start screen for a role-based EMS technicianmobile device in communication with a BOA device, according toembodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 47 illustrates a role selection screen for a role-based EMStechnician mobile device in communication with a BOA device, accordingto embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 48 illustrates a lead medic quick log screen for a role-based EMStechnician mobile device in communication with a BOA device, accordingto embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 49 illustrates a lead medic ECG graph screen for a role-based EMStechnician mobile device in communication with a BOA device, accordingto embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 50 illustrates a lead medic patient data screen for a role-basedEMS technician mobile device in communication with a BOA device,according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 51 illustrates a lead medic chief complaint screen for a role-basedEMS technician mobile device in communication with a BOA device,according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 52 illustrates a drug medic quick log screen for a role-based EMStechnician mobile device in communication with a BOA device, accordingto embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 53 illustrates a drug medic ECG graph screen for a role-based EMStechnician mobile device in communication with a BOA device, accordingto embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 54 illustrates a role selection screen for a role-based EMStechnician mobile device in communication with a BOA device, accordingto embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 55 illustrates an airway medic ECG graph screen for a role-basedEMS technician mobile device in communication with a BOA device,according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 56 illustrates an airway medic quick log screen for a role-basedEMS technician mobile device in communication with a BOA device,according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 57 illustrates a CPR medic quick log screen for a role-based EMStechnician mobile device in communication with a BOA device, accordingto embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 58 illustrates a CPR medic ECG graph screen during idle for arole-based EMS technician mobile device in communication with a BOAdevice, according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 59 illustrates a CPR medic ECG graph screen during administrationof compressions for a role-based EMS technician mobile device incommunication with a BOA device, according to embodiments of the presentinvention.

FIG. 60 illustrates a CPR medic ECG graph screen during administrationof compressions for a role-based EMS technician mobile device incommunication with a BOA device, according to embodiments of the presentinvention.

FIG. 61 illustrates a CPR medic ECG graph screen during administrationof compressions for a role-based EMS technician mobile device incommunication with a BOA device, according to embodiments of the presentinvention.

FIG. 62 illustrates a system for role-based data feeds from a BOA deviceto EMS technician mobile devices, according to embodiments of thepresent invention.

FIG. 63 illustrates an information system including an EMScommunications interface device, according to embodiments of the presentinvention.

FIGS. 64A and 64B illustrate a software system architecture for an EMScommunications interface device and underlying patient monitoringdevice, according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 65 illustrates a user interface screen for a device subscribed tothe EMS communications interface device of FIG. 63, according toembodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 66 illustrates a full disclosure document XML schema used by theEMS communications interface device of FIG. 63, according to embodimentsof the present invention.

FIG. 67 illustrates a diagram of a twelve-lead data element in the XMLschema of FIG. 66, according to embodiments of the present invention.

While the invention is amenable to various modifications and alternativeforms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in thedrawings and are described in detail below. The intention, however, isnot to limit the invention to the particular embodiments described. Onthe contrary, the invention is intended to cover all modifications,equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the inventionas defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As illustrated in FIG. 1, a system 100 according to embodiments of thepresent invention performs advanced data management, integration andpresentation of EMS data from multiple different devices. System 100includes a mobile environment 101, an enterprise environment 102, and anadministration environment 103. Devices within the various environments101, 102, 103 may be communicably coupled via a network 120, such as,for example, the Internet.

As used herein, the phrase “communicably coupled” is used in itsbroadest sense to refer to any coupling whereby information may bepassed. Thus, for example, communicably coupled includes electricallycoupled by, for example, a wire; optically coupled by, for example, anoptical cable; and/or wirelessly coupled by, for example, a radiofrequency or other transmission media. “Communicably coupled” alsoincludes, for example, indirect coupling, such as through a network, ordirect coupling.

The network 120 may also take the form of an ad hoc, self-configuring,self-healing network 2400 such as a MESH network, as illustrated in FIG.24, according to embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 24, as wellas the following information about MESH networks in paragraphs [00109]to [00117], is taken directly from Poor, Robert; WIRELESS MESH NETWORKS;Sensors (Feb. 1, 2003), which is incorporated herein by reference.Wireless systems for industry conventionally use cellular phone-styleradio links, using point-to-point or point-to-multipoint transmission.But research at MIT's Media Lab in Cambridge, Mass., indicated thattraditional wireless formats have limitations in industrialapplications. These include rigid structure, meticulous planningrequirements, and dropped signals. This can pose an acute challenge inan EMS or mass casualty environment in which existing infrastructure maybe either sparse (e.g. a rural environment) or dysfunctional (e.g. amass casualty or disaster situation).

In contrast, wireless mesh networks 2400 are multihop systems in whichdevices assist each other in transmitting packets through the network,especially in adverse conditions. Such ad hoc networks may beimplemented with minimal preparation, and they provide a reliable,flexible system that can be extended to thousands of devices, accordingto embodiments of the present invention.

The wireless mesh network topology developed at MIT for industrialcontrol and sensing is a point-to-point-to-point, or peer-to-peer,system called an ad hoc, multihop network. A node can send and receivemessages, and in a mesh network, a node also functions as a router andcan relay messages for its neighbors. Through the relaying process, apacket of wireless data will find its way to its destination, passingthrough intermediate nodes with reliable communication links, asillustrated in FIG. 24.

In a wireless mesh network 2400, multiple nodes cooperate to relay amessage to its destination. The mesh topology enhances the overallreliability of the network, which is particularly important whenoperating in harsh industrial environments. Like the Internet and otherpeer-to-peer router-based networks, a mesh network offers multipleredundant communications paths throughout the network. If one link failsfor any reason (including the introduction of strong RF interference),the network automatically routes messages through alternate paths. In amesh network 2400, the distance between nodes can be shortened, whichdramatically increases the link quality. Reducing the distance by afactor of two, the resulting signal is at least four times more powerfulat the receiver. This makes links more reliable without increasingtransmitter power in individual nodes. The reach of a mesh network maybe extended, redundancy added, and general reliability improved simplyby adding more notes.

Network 2400 may be a self-configuring and self-healing network,according to embodiments of the present invention. According toembodiments of the present invention, a network 2400 does not require asystem administrator to tell it how to get a message to its destination.A mesh network 2400 is self-organizing and does not require manualconfiguration. Because of this, adding new gear or relocating existinggear is as simple as plugging it in and turning it on, according toembodiments of the present invention. The network discovers the new nodeand automatically incorporates it into the existing system, according toembodiments of the present invention.

A mesh network 2400 is not only inherently reliable, it is also highlyadaptable, according to embodiments of the present invention. Forexample, if a tank-level sensor and data logger are placed too far apartfor a robust RF communications link, one or more repeater nodes may beadded to fill the gaps in the network 2400.

On the Internet, if one router goes down, messages are sent through analternate path by other routers. Similarly, if a device or its link in amesh network fails, messages are sent around it via other devices. Lossof one or more nodes does not necessarily affect the network'soperation. A mesh network is self-healing because human intervention isnot necessary for re-routing of messages. Such networks 2400 provideredundancy and scalability, according to embodiments of the presentinvention.

In a mesh network, the degree of redundancy is essentially a function ofnode density. A network can be deliberately over-designed forreliability simply by adding extra nodes, so each device has two or morepaths for sending data. This is a simpler way of obtaining redundancythan is possible in most other types of systems. A mesh network is alsoscalable and can handle hundreds or thousands of nodes. Because theoperation of network 2400 does not depend on a central control point,adding multiple data collection points or gateways may be convenient.

Reliability, adaptability, and scalability are notable attributes of awireless network for industrial control and sensing applications,according to embodiments of the present invention. Point-to-pointnetworks provide reliability, but they are often challenging to scale tohandle more than one pair of end points. Point-to-multipoint networkscan handle more end points, but their reliability may depend onplacement of the access point and end points. Mesh networks areinherently reliable, adapt easily to environmental or architecturalconstraints, and can scale to handle thousands of end points.

According to embodiments of the present invention, the mobileenvironment 101 is an ambulance or other EMS vehicle—for example avehicular mobile environment (VME). The mobile environment may also bethe local network of data entry devices as well as diagnostic andtherapeutic devices established at time of treatment of a patient orpatients in the field environment—the “At Scene Patient MobileEnvironment” (ASPME). The mobile environment may also be a combinationof one or more of VMEs and/or ASPMEs. The mobile environment may includea navigation device 110 used by the driver 112 to track the mobileenvironment's position 101, locate the mobile environment 101 and/or theemergency location, and locate the transport destination, according toembodiments of the present invention. The navigation device 110 mayinclude a Global Positioning System (“GPS”), for example. The navigationdevice 110 may also be configured to perform calculations about vehiclespeed, the travel time between locations, and estimated times ofarrival. According to embodiments of the present invention, thenavigation device 110 is located at the front of the ambulance to assistthe driver 112 in navigating the vehicle. The navigation device 110 maybe, for example, a RescueNet® Navigator onboard electronic datacommunication system available from Zoll Data Systems of Broomfield,Colo.

FIG. 25, as well as the following information about geolocation inparagraphs [00119] through [00120], is taken directly from K. Pahlavan,et al., “An Overview of Wireless Indoor Geolocation,” Mobile andWireless Communications Networks IFIP-TC6/European Commission NETWORKING2000 International Workshop, MWCN 2000 Paris, France, May 16-17, 2000,which is incorporated herein by reference. More generally, the mobileenvironment may include a geolocation sensor in one or more of thedevices in the VME or ASPME. The geolocation sensor may be of a commontype such as, for example, a Global Positioning System (GPS). GPS,though, may be subject to certain limitations: 1) line of sight to morethan one GPS satellite, which may limit its performance in indoorenvironments; 2) in some urban environments, location accuracy isreduced due to signal reflections off of buildings; and 3) normalaccuracy may be insufficient in the case of a mass casualty in whichaccuracies of better than +/−5 feet may be required when there aremultiple casualties and the locations of each victim needs to beintegrated into a software mapping environment, according to embodimentsof the present invention.

Therefore, additional locator base stations may be deployed on-sceneoutdoors, or within buildings, that may augment or replace theconventional GPS-based geolocator systems, according to embodiments ofthe present invention. Similar to the cellular geolocation system, thearchitecture of indoor geolocation systems may fall within one of twomain categories: mobile-based architecture and network-basedarchitecture. Most conventional indoor geolocation applications havebeen focused on network-based system architecture as shown in FIG. 25.The geolocation base stations (GBS) extract location metrics from theradio signals transmitted by the mobile station and relay theinformation to a geolocation control station (GCS). The connectionbetween GBS and GCS can be either wired or wireless, according toembodiments of the present invention. Then the position of the mobilestation may be estimated, in an indoor environment. As a result,dedicated indoor geolocation systems provide accurate indoor geolocationservices. This may be applied as well to a mobile environment such as abattlefield or other mass casualty situation in which base stations withbetter known accuracy based on landmarks or more sophisticated GPSsystems such as differential GPS (DGPS) can be deployed to providehighly accurate and complete information about the patient statusintegrated into the navigation software or other mapping software, suchas, for example, Google maps.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, a patient monitoring device 106 and a patientcharting device 108 are also often used for patient care in the mobileenvironment 101, according to embodiments of the present invention. TheEMS technician 114 attaches the patient monitoring device 106 to thepatient 116 to monitor the patient 116. The patient monitoring device106 may be, for example, a defibrillator device with electrodes and/orsensors configured for attachment to the patient 116 to monitor heartrate and/or to generate electrocardiographs (“ECG's”), according toembodiments of the present invention. The patient monitoring device 106may also include sensors to detect or a processor to derive or calculateother patient conditions. For example, the patient monitoring device 106may monitor, detect, treat and/or derive or calculate blood pressure,temperature, respiration rate, blood oxygen level, end-tidal carbondioxide level, pulmonary function, blood glucose level, and/or weight,according to embodiments of the present invention. The patientmonitoring device 106 may be a Zoll E-Series® defibrillator availablefrom Zoll Medical Corporation of Chelmsford, Mass., according toembodiments of the present invention. A patient monitoring device mayalso be a patient treatment device, or another kind of device thatincludes patient monitoring and/or patient treatment capabilities,according to embodiments of the present invention.

The patient charting device 108 is a device used by the EMS technician114 to generate records and/or notes about the patient's 116 conditionand/or treatments applied to the patient, according to embodiments ofthe present invention. For example, the patient charting device 108 maybe used to note a dosage of medicine given to the patient 116 at aparticular time. The patient charting device 108 and/or patientmonitoring device 106 may have a clock, which may be synchronized withan external time source such as a network or a satellite to prevent theEMS technician from having to manually enter a time of treatment orobservation (or having to attempt to estimate the time of treatment forcharting purposes long after the treatment was administered), accordingto embodiments of the present invention. The patient charting device 108may also be used to record biographic and/or demographic and/orhistorical information about a patient, for example the patient's name,identification number, height, weight, and/or medical history, accordingto embodiments of the present invention. According to embodiments of thepresent invention, the patient charting device 108 is a tablet PC, suchas for example the TabletPCR component of the RescueNet® ePCR Suiteavailable from Zoll Data Systems of Broomfield, Colo. According to someembodiments of the present invention, the patient charting device 108 isa wristband or smart-phone such as an Apple iPhone or iPad withinteractive data entry interface such as a touch screen or voicerecognition data entry that may be communicably connected to the BOAdevice 104 and tapped to indicate what was done with the patient 116 andwhen it was done.

The navigation device 110, the charting device 108, and the monitoringdevice 106 are each separately very useful to the EMS drivers 112 andtechnicians 114 before, during, and after the patient transport. A “backof ambulance” (“BOA”) device 104 receives, organizes, stores, anddisplays data from each device 108, 110, 112 to further enhance theusefulness of each device 108, 110, 112 and to make it much easier forthe EMS technician 114 to perform certain tasks that would normallyrequire the EMS technician 114 to divert visual and manual attention toeach device 108, 110, 112 separately, according to embodiments of thepresent invention. In other words, the BOA device centralizes andorganizes information that would normally be de-centralized anddisorganized, according to embodiments of the present invention.

Although device 104 is referred to herein as a “back of ambulance”device because the EMS technician 114 would normally benefit the mostfrom having such a display device mounted in the back 152 of anambulance, one of ordinary skill in the art, based on the disclosureprovided herein, will recognize that some or all of the BOA device 104may be located in any part of a mobile environment 101, EMS vehicle,and/or anywhere else useful to an EMS technician 114. For example, theBOA device 104 may be located in the front 150 of an ambulance, and/ormay include components that are portable and can be carried into apatient residence, according to embodiments of the present invention.

The BOA device 104 is communicably coupled to the patient monitoringdevice 106, the patient charting device 108, and the navigation device110, according to embodiments of the present invention. The BOA device104 is also communicably coupled to a storage medium 118. The BOA device104 may be a touch-screen, flat panel PC, and the storage medium 118 maybe located within or external to the BOA device 104, according toembodiments of the present invention. The BOA device 104 may include adisplay template serving as a graphical user interface, which permitsthe user (e.g. EMS tech 114) to select different subsets and/or displaymodes of the information gathered from and/or sent to devices 106, 108,110, according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates one example of a menu template 200 for the display ofBOA device 104, according to embodiments of the present invention. Themenu template 200 includes a navigation button 202, a patient monitoringdevice button 204, a patient charting device button 206, a “patch notes”button 208, and a protocols button 210, according to embodiments of thepresent invention. Pressing one of the buttons takes the user (e.g. EMStech 114) to a particular page displaying all or a subset of informationfrom devices 106, 108, 110. FIGS. 3-7 illustrate examples of particularinformation templates according to which information from the one ormore EMS devices 106, 108, 110 is displayed, according to embodiments ofthe present invention. Based on the disclosure provided herein, one ofordinary skill in the art will recognize various other informationtemplates according to which such information may be displayed.

FIG. 3 illustrates a graphical user interface displayed when the userselects the navigation button 202, according to embodiments of thepresent invention. One part of the display includes a status section 302and another part of the display includes a map section 304, according toembodiments of the present invention. The status section 302 includesone or more fields identifying information about the EMS vehicle trip,according to embodiments of the present invention. For example, thefields of the status section 302 may include one or more of a Unit field306 identifying the name of the EMS vehicle for which information isdisplayed, a Crew unit 308 identifying one or more crew members of theEMS vehicle, a Status unit 310 identifying the status of the trip (e.g.“transporting” or “en route to patient”), an ETA field 312 identifyingan estimated time of arrival at the destination, a Destination field 314identifying the destination of the EMS vehicle (e.g. the hospital), anda Patch Info field 316 identifying a phone number or other informationfor contacting the EMS vehicle destination (e.g. the hospital),according to embodiments of the present invention.

The map section 304 may display street information along with theorigin, destination, route identification, and/or progress information,according to embodiments of the present invention. The navigation device110 may also supply vehicle status information for display, which mayalso be useful when a transport has not yet begun. A user may select aCycle Feeds button 318 in order to continuously transition the displaybetween one or more of the various displays of FIGS. 3-7, according toembodiments of the present invention. The information illustrated inFIG. 3 would normally be available only to the driver 112 in the frontof the ambulance 101, but because BOA device 104 is communicably coupledto the navigation device 110, the BOA device 104 can display all or aselected subset of the information available to the navigation device110.

FIG. 4 illustrates a graphical user interface displayed when the userselects the patient monitoring button 204 of the menu template,according to embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 4 displaysinformation received by the BOA device 104 from a patient monitoringdevice 106 that is a Zoll E-Series®defibrillator. The display includes avertical vital signs section 402, a horizontal vital signs summarysection 404, a graphical section 406, and interpretation section 414,according to embodiments of the present invention. The vertical vitalsigns section 402 includes one or more fields indicating a condition ofthe patient 116 to which the device 106 is attached. For example, thevital signs section 402 includes a heart rate field, a respiration ratefield, a blood pressure field, a blood oxygen level field, and anend-tidal carbon dioxide level field. Each field may include a visualindication of a further subset of information. For example, the heartrate field may include a numerical indication 408 of the heart rate, atime indication 410 reflecting the time that the measurement was takenor derived, and a historical graph 412 indicating generally how theheart rate has increased or decreased since the first measurement or apredetermined time, according to embodiments of the present invention.Other fields may include similar indicators, according to embodiments ofthe present invention. Vital sign trending may also be displayed.

A horizontal vital signs summary section 404 indicates, for example, thenumerical values represented simultaneously in the vertical vital signssection 402, according to embodiments of the present invention. Thegraphical section 406 includes a visual representation of anelectrocardiograph, such as that acquired from a twelve-lead sensorplacement on the patient 116, according to embodiments of the presentinvention. Just above the ECG is an indication of when the ECG wasacquired. As new vital signs information and/or new ECG informationbecomes available, the display of FIG. 4 is automatically refreshed toshow the most recent data from the patient monitoring device 106,according to embodiments of the present invention. The interpretationsection 414 includes automatically-generated information from the device106, for example, indicating potential causes of the symptoms observedby the device 106, according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates a graphical user interface displayed when the userselects the patient charting button 206 of the menu template, accordingto embodiments of the present invention. The display of FIG. 5 includesa biographical summary 502, an interventions section 504, and a vitalsigns (e.g. vital signs trend) section 506, according to embodiments ofthe present invention. The biographical summary 502 may display thepatient's name, age, and gender as recorded by the EMS technician 114with the patient charting device 108, according to embodiments of thepresent invention. The interventions section 504 displays the patient116 interventions (e.g. treatments administered) recorded with thepatient charting device 108, according to embodiments of the presentinvention. For example, the interventions section 504 includes a listingof each intervention made, the time of the intervention, a descriptionof the intervention (e.g. name of the drug administered), and the nameof the person administering the treatment, according to embodiments ofthe present invention.

The vital signs section 506 includes a historical listing of certainvital signs data observed by the EMS technician 114 and recorded in thepatient charting device 108, and stored in the patient charting device108 and/or the database 118, according to embodiments of the presentinvention. The historical listing of vital signs data in the vital signssection 506 includes a time stamp, heart rate, blood pressure,respiration rate, blood oxygen level, end-tidal carbon dioxide level,blood glucose level, Glasgow Coma Scale rating (“GCS”), and the name ofthe technician or device that observed or recorded the vital sign,according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 6 illustrates a graphical user interface displayed when the userselects the “patch notes” button 208 of the menu template, according toembodiments of the present invention. Patch notes are notes used by anEMS technician 114 to place a call to a hospital or other treatmentfacility to confirm that the hospital will accept the patient 116 and/orto provide information about the patient 116 to help the hospital ortreatment facility prepare for admission. Because time is typically ofthe essence for such phone calls (because placing the call cantemporarily divert the EMS technician's 114 attention away from patient116 care), the EMS technician typically consults and interacts withseveral different devices 106, 108, 110 and/or informal data sources tocompile a list of notes to convey to the nurse or other responsibleparty at the hospital or treatment facility. Such patch notes often takeconsiderable time to assemble, and are often hastily written on a glove,for example, which also results in inaccuracy and in some of the patchnotes representing old information by the time the call is placed andthe information conveyed to the hospital.

The BOA device 104, on the other hand, automatically creates a displayof several different fields that would typically comprise patch notes,according to embodiments of the present invention. The display of FIG. 6includes fields representing information from multiple differentdevices, such as, for example, devices 106, 108, 110. The patch notesdisplay may organize the information into a predefined template, and/ormay organize the information into a customized template associated witha particular EMS technician 114, according to embodiments of the presentinvention. Not only does the BOA device 104 automatically receive anddisplay information from multiple different devices 106, 108, 110 in asingle display summarized to function as patch notes, but it alsoautomatically refreshes the display to reflect the most recentinformation, thus permitting real-time conveyance of patientinformation, according to embodiments of the present invention.

For example, without the BOA device 104, if a patient's heart rate rosefrom 75 to 115 over the course of three minutes, and if an EMStechnician 114 wrote “HR 75” on his glove before consulting his patientchart for name and background information and the driver 112 forlocation information before calling the hospital three minutes later,the EMS technician 114 might report a heart rate of 75 to the hospital.With the BOA device 104, however, the patch notes are generatedautomatically and displayed as in FIG. 6, and the Defib Vitals sectionwould list the current heart rate of 115 when the EMS technician 114conveyed the patient status to the hospital.

In addition to one or more of a Hospital field 602 identifying the nameand phone number of the hospital to which the patient 116 is en routeand an age field 604 identifying the patient's age, the display of FIG.6 may also include one or more of a History Present Illness field, anInterventions field, a Unit identification field (e.g. identifying theparticular EMS vehicle), a Gender field, a Past Medical History Field, apatient charting device vital signs field, an Expected Time of Arrivalfield, a Chief Complaint field, an Assessments field, and a patientmonitoring device vital signs field, according to embodiments of thepresent invention.

Each of the fields may be configured to display either past or currentor derived content from one or more of the EMS devices (e.g. devices106, 108, 110) which are communicably coupled with the BOA device 104,according to embodiments of the present invention. For example, theHospital, Unit, and ETA fields may be based on information received fromthe navigation unit 110. The Age, Gender, Chief Complaint, HistoryPresent Illness, Past Medical History, and Interventions fields may bebased on information received from the patient charting unit 108. Thepatient charting device vital signs field may be based on informationreceived from the patient charting unit 108 (e.g. GCS score), and thepatient monitoring device vital signs field may be based on informationreceived from the patient monitoring device 106 (e.g. ECG), according toembodiments of the present invention. According to embodiments of thepresent invention, a BOA device 104 may be located in the front of theambulance to permit the driver 112 or another EMS technician to placethe call to the hospital based on the real-time patch notes, therebyproviding the attending EMS technician 114 more time and attention fordirect patient care.

According to embodiments of the present invention, the BOA device 104receives information from at least one patient monitoring EMS device andat least one non-patient monitoring EMS device. The patch notes screenof FIG. 6 illustrates one example of EMS information (e.g. informationrelated to an emergency medical encounter or transport) from at leastone patient monitoring device and at least one other device that doesnot directly monitor a patient (e.g. a navigation device and/or apatient charting device) on the same display, according to embodimentsof the present invention. Similarly, in another embodiment of thepresent invention, the BOA device 104 receives information from at leastone patient clinical device and at least one non-clinical device, andanalyzes, combines, stores, displays, and/or transmits the clinical andnon-clinical information in a format useful to the user. As used herein,the term “clinical” is used in its broadest sense to refer to that whichis directly implicated in monitoring or treatment or diagnosis of apatient. As used herein, the term “non-clinical” is used in its broadestsense to refer to that which is not directly implicated in monitoring ortreatment or diagnosis of a patient. For example, a defibrillator is aclinical device, and a navigation device is a non-clinical device. Asanother example, a patient's ECG information or heart rate is clinicalinformation, while a patient's address is non-clinical information.

FIG. 7 illustrates a graphical user interface displayed when the userselects the protocols button 210 of the menu template, according toembodiments of the present invention. The display of FIG. 7 includes aninteractive guidelines manual for the particular locale where themedical emergency occurred, where the treatment occurs, and/or where thepatient is delivered, according to embodiments of the present invention.Alternatively, the protocols button 210 may link to a manual orguideline document for the use of a particular device and/or theadministration of a particular technique and/or information about adrug. For example, the display of FIG. 7 may include an interactive pagelisting of chapters in a county's protocol index, which may be alocally-stored protocol index and/or a protocol index accessed throughan Internet connection. Clicking on one or more of the chapters or linksopens a page containing more detail about the particular chapter orsubject selected, for example.

Based on the disclosure provided herein, one of ordinary skill in theart will appreciate that the BOA device 104 may be configured to displayadditional or different subsets of information from one or more EMSdevices and/or external data sources. According to embodiments of thepresent invention, the BOA device 104 not only seamlessly integratesinformation from a patient monitoring device 106, a patient chartingdevice 108, and a navigation device 110 for display in mobileenvironment 101, but it also does so for display in a remote environmentsuch as, for example, enterprise environment 102. Enterprise environment102 may be a hospital and/or dispatch environment, for example.

Data from the BOA device 104 (and therefore data from the devices 106,108, 110 communicably coupled with the BOA device 104) may be receivedby one or more enterprise storage servers 126 in an administrationenvironment 103 and stored in an enterprise database 130, and the sameinformation may be accessed and provided by one or more enterpriseapplication servers 128 to a workstation 122 of an enterprise user 124,according to embodiments of the present invention. According toembodiments of the present invention, the BOA device 104 is communicablycoupled to the storage server 126 which is communicably coupled to thedatabase 130, and the application server 128 is communicably coupled tothe database and to the enterprise workstation 122. Such devices may becommunicably coupled via a network 120 such as, for example, theInternet.

When the BOA device 104 receives updated information from one or more ofthe devices (e.g. devices 106, 108, 110) to which it is communicablycoupled, the BOA device 104 sends the updated information to theenterprise storage server 126, which stores the updated information in adatabase which may be contained on a storage medium 130, according toembodiments of the present invention. Hence, information from one ormore devices (e.g. devices 106, 108, 110) may be stored in mobiledatabase 118, remote enterprise database 130, or both, according toembodiments of the present invention. An enterprise user 124, who may bean emergency room nurse monitoring and/or preparing for ambulancearrivals, an emergency room physician, and/or a medical director athome, for example, may access information similar to informationdisplayed by the BOA device 104 by requesting the information via anenterprise workstation 122. For example, the enterprise workstation 122accesses a web interface and/or thin client web browser applicationwhich requests the information over the network 120 from applicationserver 128. Application server 128 queries the database 130 for theinformation, and returns a display to enterprise workstation 122 thatlooks the same as or similar to what the EMS technician 114 is currentlyseeing on the BOA device 104 display, according to embodiments of thepresent invention.

FIGS. 8-10 illustrate examples of user interface and display screensavailable to the enterprise user 124 via the enterprise workstation 122,according to embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 8 illustrates aweb browser based client interface including, in one portion of thedisplay, a list of available EMS vehicles 802, 804 for which EMS devicedata is available, according to embodiments of the present invention.Clicking on ALS2 804, for example, brings up a screen similar to FIG. 8which allows the enterprise user 124 to select one of the buttons,including but not limited to the patient monitoring button 806, thenavigation button 808, and/or the patient charting button 810. When user124 clicks on the patient monitoring button 806, the screen display ofFIG. 8 is presented and includes current information from the patientmonitoring device 106 of ambulance ALS2, according to embodiments of thepresent invention. According to embodiments of the present invention,the patient monitoring display of FIG. 8 is automatically updatedcontinuously or semi-continuously; according to other embodiments of thepresent invention, the user 124 selects “get updates” or the browser's“refresh” button in order to obtain the most current informationavailable. The enterprise display of FIG. 8 contains information similarto the mobile display of FIG. 4, according to embodiments of the presentinvention.

According to embodiments of the present invention, the website displayin the enterprise environment 102 is accessed via a generic internetbrowser by a doctor waiting in the emergency room for the patient toarrive by ambulance. The website may be secured by logon username andpassword, for example. Each ambulance may be identified by a vehiclename; the doctor chooses from a list of incoming vehicle, after whichthe data for that patient is displayed. The data may be shown just as itappears on the mobile screen, also in “clinical time.” According toembodiments of the present invention, the enterprise environment 102website displays data only for those patients whose destination is thesame as the destination logged on the user's facility.

When the user 124 clicks on the navigator button 808, the screen displayof FIG. 9 is presented and includes current information from thenavigation device 110 of ambulance ALS2, according to embodiments of thepresent invention. The enterprise display of FIG. 9 contains informationsimilar to the mobile display of FIG. 3, according to embodiments of thepresent invention.

When the user 124 clicks on the patient charting button 810, the screendisplay of FIG. 10 is presented and includes current information fromthe patient charting device 108 of ambulance ALS2, according toembodiments of the present invention. The enterprise display of FIG. 10contains information similar to the mobile display of FIG. 5, accordingto embodiments of the present invention.

Although FIG. 1 depicts a single BOA device 104 in the mobileenvironment 101, more than one BOA device 104 may be used in the mobileenvironment 101 to communicably connect to the same or a different setof devices 106, 108, 110. And although FIG. 1 depicts one mobileenvironment 101, more than one mobile environment 101 and/or more thanone BOA device 104 may be communicably coupled with the administrationenvironment 103 and/or the enterprise storage server 126, according toembodiments of the present invention. According to embodiments of thepresent invention, the enterprise storage server 126 receives EMS deviceinformation from BOA device 104 and stores it in database 130 along withan authenticated time stamp and an identifier associating theinformation with a particular EMS device and/or a particular EMSvehicle. In this way, data from multiple vehicles and/or multipledevices may be accessed by the enterprise user 124.

Also, the enterprise storage server 130 may securely store theinformation received from one or more BOA devices 104 for longer periodsof time to permit later use of the information. For example, the BOAdevice 104 may receive patient-identifying information such as name,address, and/or social security number via the patient charting device108 or directly through the BOA device 104, and then may convey some orall of the patient-identifying information to enterprise storage server126 with a request for the enterprise storage server 126 to query thedatabase 130 for past records involving the same patient 116. Theenterprise storage server 126 may then forward any such records orportions of such records back to the BOA device 104 (e.g. for display inthe patient charting screen or the Past Medical History in the patchnotes screen) to assist the EMS technician 114 with the currentemergency. Similarly, such past EMS encounter record information mayalso be accessed by the enterprise user 124, according to embodiments ofthe present invention. A system administrator 134 may access and/ormonitor the data in database 130 and/or modify the instructions of theservers 126, 128 via administration workstation 132, which may becommunicably coupled to the servers 126, 128, according to embodimentsof the present invention.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, the BOA device104 may connect with (e.g. automatically or manually or selectively) awearable medical device, such as, for example, a Lifevest® wearabledefibrillator, to receive and display patient monitoring informationtherefrom. The BOA device 104 may also be configured to receivepatient-identifying information from such a wearable device, to permitthe BOA device 104 to query an external database, for example acrossnetwork 120, to retrieve additional information about the patient. TheBOA device 104 may also be configured to connect with an implantablecardioverter-defibrillator (“ICD”) in a similar fashion, according toembodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 11 illustrates a treatment domain system 1100 overview forreal-time display of medical information collected from multipledifferent EMS devices, according to embodiments of the presentinvention. System 1100 includes a patient monitoring device module 1102communicably coupled with mobile domain modules 1126 communicablycoupled with remote or enterprise domain modules 1128 communicablycoupled with a thin client display module 1124, according to embodimentsof the present invention. According to embodiments of the presentinvention, the database 130 may be accessed by multiple hospitalsthroughout a region, state, country, and/or the world.

The mobile domain modules 1126 includes the device adapter 1104, amobile asset management module 1106 which may access a mobile database1108, a BOA module 1110, a patient charting module 1112, a navigationmodule 1114, and a network adapter 1116, according to embodiments of thepresent invention. The remote/enterprise modules 1128 include thenetwork adapter 1116, an enterprise asset management module 1118 whichmay access an enterprise database 1120, and an enterprise applicationserver module 1122, according to embodiments of the present invention.

The patient monitoring device module 1102 operates the patientmonitoring device 106 and generates one or more data pipes containinginformation about a patient 116 condition. The deviceadapter/communication interface module 1104 manages data communicationsbetween a computing device and one or more medical devices such as, forexample, between the patient monitoring device module 1102 and themobile asset management module 1106 and/or BOA module 1110. The deviceadapter module 1104 includes one or more of the following attributes,according to embodiments of the present invention:

-   -   Supports multiple communications transports (e.g., devices can        use Bluetooth, 802.11, Ethernet, Serial cable).    -   Supports multiple data transfer protocols.    -   Supports multiple medical device types.    -   Supports multiple data storage profiles (e.g., storage to file        system, storage by asset management module 1106 to database        1108).    -   Allows administrator or user to associate transport, protocol,        device and multiple storage profiles together to represent a        communication “pipe” over which data can be exchanged with        medical devices.    -   Supports multiple pipes at the same time.    -   Allows administrators or users to specify one or more specific        medical devices to which it communicates in which case the        module 1104 will use transport specific discovery protocols to        find and attach to the devices.    -   Allows administrators or users to specify ANY as a medical        device in which case it will use transport specific discovery        protocols to find and attach to any compatible medical device        found.    -   When a pipe is configured to use a protocol which does not        support discovery (e.g. serial cable), module 1104 will allow        the device to initiate the connection and then allow or deny it        based on whether the specific medical device is selected or not.    -   Supports multiple client applications (local or remote) by        allowing them to connect to module 1104 and receive asynchronous        notification of data arrival from medical devices and a means to        retrieve the data.    -   Maintains a communications ‘pipe’ should the medical device have        a data asset to communicate, regardless of whether any        application is running or ready to receive the data asset.    -   A user may configure the medical device(s) applications        communicate with, and such configuration may be persistent and        easily changed.    -   Communications policies may be configurable. For instance,        Bluetooth may require pairing with a device before        communications occur. A user may configure whether the pairing        is ‘automatic’ or ‘manual’ or ‘continuously reacquired’, for        example.    -   Applications may access previously received data assets via a        relatively simple, expressive API.    -   Applications may be notified of newly received assets and may        filter those notifications based on specific devices and/or        asset type.    -   Applications may query the communications layer for status,        available devices, and the like, for customizable user interface        elements.    -   The communications layer may be controllable from a notification        icon which also indicates status.    -   Configurable items may be protected from malicious or erroneous        alteration by common users through the use of a privileged        ‘admin’ mode and a common user mode in the notification area        icon applet.    -   Configuration may be ‘portable’ and ‘distributable,’ such that        one configuration may be created and copied to each device        rather than having to actually configure each device through a        notification applet.    -   Particular features or limitations of the communications ‘pipe’        may be hidden from the application by default.    -   The communications layer may itself be layered and support        multiple plug-in style transport drivers for managing different        communications transports and multiple plug-in style protocol        drivers for handling the receipt of data assets from different        devices and different asset types. This may allow for the rapid        extension of the communications layer to new transports or to        new protocols as they are developed.

FIG. 12 illustrates a diagram of the device adapter/communication module1104, which includes one or more pipes 1202, 1204, 1206 each associatedwith a medical device 1208, 1210, 1212. The communication module 1104may be a PELICAN™ communication interface available from Zoll DataSystems of Broomfield, Colo., according to embodiments of the presentinvention. According to embodiments of the present invention, thecommunication engine 1104 is an “always on” operating system servicewhich implements the communications pipes 1202, 1204, 1206 and handlesthe incoming data from medical devices 1208, 1210, 1212. Communicationengine 1104 also includes an API 1216, which is a collection of objectsand methods exposed by the communications engine 1104 which can be usedby an application to configure and interact with the engine 1104 fortasks like getting data assets and configuring the engine 1104,according to embodiments of the present invention. For example, themobile asset management module 1106 may interact with the API 1216 toreceive medical device data.

FIG. 13 illustrates a diagram of pipe 1202, according to embodiments ofthe present invention. Pipe 1202 includes one or more storage plug-ins1302, 1304, 1306 associated with one or more storage configurations1312, 1314, 1316 of the medical device; a medical device plug-in 1308associated with a medical device configuration 1318 of the medicaldevice, and a transport plug-in 1310 associated with a transportconfiguration 1320 of the medical device, according to embodiments ofthe present invention. As used herein, a “transport” is an operatingsystem supported underlying communications medium, for example TCP/IP,Bluetooth, and Serial. Some transports are packet oriented (e.g. TCP)while others are stream oriented (e.g. Serial). Some support discovery,some do not. Some support pairing, some do not. Each transport mayinclude unique configurations.

A transport plug-in may be a .NET assembly that is dynamically loaded bythe communications engine 1104 and which provides data communicationssupport for a specific transport (e.g. Serial Port, Bluetooth, TCP/IP,and File System). The communications engine 1104 may be configured forauto-pairing (e.g. for transports that support pairing, the engine 1104uses rules specific to the transport to automatically create andmaintain pairings with medical devices depending on configuration anduser preference) and/or for auto-discovery (e.g. for transports thatsupport discovery, the engine 1104 may be configured to automaticallyfind new medical devices and enter them into the known device list),according to embodiments of the present invention.

A medical device plug-in may be a .NET assembly that is dynamicallyloaded by the communications engine 1104 which provides transportindependent data communications services for a particular type ofmedical device, for example ZOLL M/E-Series ZOLLModem or ZOLL E-SeriesDUN. A storage plug-in may be a .NET assembly that is dynamically loadedby the communications engine 1104 which provides storage services to theengine.

As shown in FIG. 13, a pipe may be a combination of transport, medicaldevice, and storage configurations which represent a medical device fromwhich the user has indicated data will be received, and which allowscommunications to occur. Pipes may be configured by the user and/or maybe predefined. For example, a pipe may specify Transport Serial Portwith configuration (COM1, Baud=9600), Medical Device E/M SeriesZOLLModem (Any Medical Device) and Storage (Local File System). Thisconfiguration would accept data assets from any device connected to COM1at 9600 baud and store them to the local file system. As anotherexample, a pipe may specify Transport Bluetooth (Baud=115200,Auto-Pair), Medical Device E/M Series ZollModem (ZOLL005611), Storage(Local File System) and Storage (Asset Management). This configurationwould cause Bluetooth to pair to ZOLL005611, maintain that pairing evenwhen broken and accept any data assets from that specific device andstore them both to the local file system and submit them to AssetManagement (e.g. mobile asset management module 1106 and/or enterpriseasset management module 1118).

As yet another example, a pipe may specify Transport Bluetooth(Baud=115200, Auto-Pair), Medical Device E/M Series ZOLLModem (AnyDevice). This configuration would cause Bluetooth to automatically pairwith any medical device found during periodic discovery and accept anydata assets from any paired device and store them via all loaded andenabled storage plug-ins. As yet another example, a pipe may specifyTransport TCP/IP (LocalIP=192.168.1.20, Port=7743), Medical Device E/MSeries DUN (Any Device), Storage (Asset Management). This configurationwould cause the engine 1104 to start listening on the specified IPaddress and port for DUN traffic and store it via Asset Management (e.g.by sending it to mobile asset management module 1106 and/or enterpriseasset management module 1118), according to embodiments of the presentinvention.

For each “pipe” of device adapter 1104 that uses Discovery SupportingTransport, the adapter 1104 performs the method outlined in FIG. 14, andfor each pipe of device adapter 1104 that uses Non-Discovery SupportingTransport, the adapter 1104 performs the method illustrated in FIG. 15,according to embodiments of the present invention.

As described above, the mobile asset management module 1106 receivesmedical device data from the device adapter and communications interface1104, according to embodiments of the present invention. The mobileasset management module 1106 performs the secure storage, retrieval andmanagement of medical device data together with asynchronous eventsinforming other applications of the storage or modification of thesedata assets. The mobile asset management module 1106 supports local orremote service oriented API to store, retrieve and modify medical devicedata, and provides local or remote asynchronous message-basednotification of events to applications which subscribe for them,according to embodiments of the present invention. These events mayinclude notification of the arrival of medical device data.

The BOA module manages data feeds from multiple data providers(including but not limited to, the device adapter 1104, the patientcharting module 1112, and the navigation module 1114) and presents thesefeeds on a touch-screen flat panel, according to embodiments of thepresent invention. The BOA module 1110 also communicates theseaggregated data elements to a back-office module (e.g. the enterpriseasset management module 1118). The patient charting module 1112 controlsthe patient charting device 108 and the information sent and received byit, and the navigation module 1114 controls the navigation device 110and the information sent and received by it, according to embodiments ofthe present invention. The BOA module 1110 includes one or more of thefollowing attributes, according to embodiments of the present invention:

-   -   Allows the user to configure the device adapter/communication        interface module 1104, including but not limited to selection of        a medical device.    -   Allows the user to select a patient charting device from which        it will receive a data feed containing medical record        information as it is entered in patient charting device.    -   Allows the user to select a navigation device from which it will        receive a data feed containing navigational and dispatch        information on a periodic basis.    -   Receives notification from the communication interface module        1104 and/or the mobile asset management module 1106 about the        arrival of new medical device data including but not limited to        12-lead ECG and vital trend records.    -   Receives asynchronous messages from a selected patient charting        device which contain data about the currently open patient        record including but not limited to: patient demographics,        medical history, current assessments, interventions performed        and/or vital signs.    -   Receives asynchronous messages from a selected navigation device        which contains data about the current dispatch state,        destination, crew, location, route and/or map of current        position.    -   Cyclically presents a graphic display of each of the received        data feeds for viewing in the back of the ambulance on the flat        panel, or elsewhere on another display device.    -   Allows the caregiver or EMS technician 114 to temporarily freeze        the cycling display on a feed for more careful examination of        that particular data in that particular information template.    -   Aggregates the data feeds into a data construct which is sent        periodically to the enterprise asset management module 1118.    -   Presents a customer customizable view of the aggregated data        feed for the purpose of facilitating a verbal report to the        receiving facility (e.g. a report in the Patch Notes information        template displayed on the BOA device 104).    -   Presents the user with the ability to view the regional EMS        protocols for reference.

FIG. 16 illustrates a logic flow chart 1600 executed by the BOA module1110, according to embodiments of the present invention. The logic flowchart 1600 starts at block 1602. A user selects particular devices orselects a “read from” configuration to determine which devices' datawill be read and displayed by the BOA device 104 (block 1604). A datamodel is prepared (block 1606), for example the current state of thesystem that will be displayed on the BOA device 104 and which mayeventually be communicated to the enterprise environment 102 and/orenterprise application server 128. The data model may expand to containother data elements as feeds are added, and may contract to eliminatecontainer properties for unused data feeds (e.g. installations that donot include a patient charting device 108), according to embodiments ofthe present invention. The BOA module 1110 queries the mobile assetmanagement module 1106 to determine whether new medical device data isavailable (block 1608) and, if so, updates the medical device data inthe data model (block 1610). The BOA module 1110 queries the mobileasset management module 1106 to determine whether new patient chartingdata is available (block 1612) and, if so, updates the patient chartingdata in the data model (block 1614).

The BOA module 1110 queries the mobile asset management module 1106 todetermine whether new navigation data is available (block 1616) and, ifso, updates the navigation data in the data model (block 1618). The BOAmodule 1110 determines whether it is time to send updated information tothe enterprise asset management module 1118 (block 1620) and, if so,sends the data model to the enterprise asset management module (block1622) and generates an asynchronous message (block 1626). According toembodiments of the present invention, the asynchronous message generatedat block 1626 is destined for the enterprise application server 128;according to alternative embodiments of the present invention, theasynchronous message generated at block 1626 is destined for theenterprise storage server 126 which, in turn, stores the data andnotifies the enterprise application server 128 of the data'savailability. The data model is then rendered (block 1624), for examplein the form of a display update on the BOA device 104, according toembodiments of the present invention. According to embodiments of thepresent invention, the procedures indicated by blocks 1608, 1612, 1616,and 1620 are not executed as “stages” but are instead each events whichtrigger a different thread of execution that modifies a data model,which in turn triggers the update of the BOA device 104 display.

The network adapter/communication interface module 1116 is acommunications channel that includes one or more of the followingattributes, according to embodiments of the present invention:

-   -   General purpose and data format independent. Each application        may be responsible for the format of its messages.    -   Message addressing may be by name rather than transport address        (IP address for instance) so that messages can be sent to        entities for which no route currently exists (e.g. when the        sender is disconnected from the Internet). Name resolution into        actual machine address may be deferred until a route actually        exists.    -   Tree relationship between entities that use communication        interface module 1116, in which name information may be        “percolated” up the tree but not down. As such, each node has a        simple routing choice: if the name is the current device or        below, route there, otherwise route to the current device's        parent. The root of the tree may be the primary message broker        and it accumulates all name information. The primary message        broker is the unique node in the communications tree which        contains all name information and thus can perform routing from        one sub-tree to another, according to embodiments of the present        invention.    -   Message delivery may be deferred until the recipient actually        appears. Messages may be stored until the recipient becomes        routable.    -   Messages may be stored in a transaction safe database at each        node so that even a node unexpectedly failing does not risk        message loss.    -   Full encryption of messages may be maintained until the        recipient actually receives them. While stored in databases, the        messages may remain encrypted.    -   Robust operation over intermittently connected wireless        connections.

Messages may be stored until a connection is resumed. Within certaintime-limits, if the connection is restored, message transmission maycontinue from where it left off rather than starting anew.

-   -   Messages intended for machines or applications that are ‘local’        may be routed locally even when that segment of the tree is        disconnected from the primary message broker.    -   Messages may be sent with an expiration time after which the        message will not be delivered and the sender may be notified of        the expiration.

The communications interface 1116 may be a MERCURY™ communicationinterface available from Zoll Data Systems of Broomfield, Colo.,according to embodiments of the present invention.

The messaging components for the BOA module 1110 may be implementedusing the communication interface module 1116 as a channel. Thesemessaging components implement one or more of the followingcharacteristics, according to embodiments of the present invention:

-   -   Publish-Subscribe Model: The data feed consumers (e.g. the BOA        mobile module 1110) subscribe with the providers (e.g. the        patient charting module 1112) to receive the data feed. The        subscription request includes the duration of the subscription.        As the providers modify the data feed items, the data feed items        are sent to all subscribers. According to embodiments, the BOA        module 1110 is a data feed consumer for feeds from the patient        charting module 1112 and the navigation module 1114 but a data        feed provider for the aggregated feed going to the enterprise        asset management module 1118.    -   Message Queue Throttling: Using the message expiration feature        of the communications interface module 1116, all messages may be        sent with a short expiration time and then a new, current copy        is sent upon expiration notification. This keeps the system from        having a large queue of stale data feed messages when components        are disconnected; at most, one current message is in the system.    -   Complex message format: The data feed messages include        graphical, textual and binary data which may be turned into        objects by the recipient for ease of use.

The enterprise asset management module 1118 receives an aggregated datafeed from multiple BOA modules 1110 and provides presentation of thoseaggregated data feeds on displays remote from the originating ones. Forexample, such aggregated data feeds may be fetched from the database1120 associated with the enterprise asset management module 1118 by theenterprise application server module 1122 and displayed to an enterpriseuser via a thin client display application module 1124 running on a webbrowser, according to embodiments of the present invention. Such a webpage may be secured, encrypted, password-protected, and/or HIPAAcompliant, according to embodiments of the present invention. Theenterprise asset management module 1118 includes one or more of thefollowing attributes, according to embodiments of the present invention:

-   -   Receives asynchronous messages from multiple BOA modules 1110        containing aggregated data feeds including but not limited to        data feeds from patient charting modules 1112, navigation        modules 1114, and medical devices.    -   Uses destination data from the BOA module 1110, set either by        the navigation module 1114 or manually by the user on the flat        panel BOA device 104, creates a web page for each hospital        destination containing the feeds from each BOA module 1110 with        that hospital as the destination.    -   Asynchronously updates the web page as new versions of the        aggregated data feeds arrive for each BOA module 1110 sending        data regarding a patient 116 en route to the hospital or        treatment facility.    -   Renders the aggregated data feeds with diagnostic resolution of        the 12-Lead data.    -   Prevents unauthorized access by employing hospital specific        logins to the secured EMS data feed web page module 1124.

Although FIG. 1 illustrates the BOA device 104 communicably coupled witha patient monitoring device 106, a patient charting device 108, and anavigation device 110, in alternative embodiments of the presentinvention the BOA device 104 is communicably coupled with additionalEMS-related devices not shown in FIG. 1, and/or is communicably coupledwith multiple devices of the kind shown in FIG. 1, and/or iscommunicably coupled with different models or versions of the devices ofthe kind shown in FIG. 1. For example, the BOA module 1110 may beconfigured to communicate EMS-related device data to and from, eitherdirectly and/or indirectly via a device adapter/communication interfacemodule 1104, one or more of the following devices: a defibrillator, apatient charting device, a navigation device, a GPS device, a pulseoximeter, an automatic cardiopulmonary resuscitation device (e.g.Autopulse® non-invasive cardiac support pump), a driver safetymonitoring system, a standalone blood pressure monitor, a blood glucosemeasurement device, an inventory control system, a blood alcoholmonitor, a breathalyzer instrument, a fusion pump, a ventilation device,a wearable defibrillator device (e.g. LifeVest® device), and a crewscheduling system. A defibrillator or patient monitoring device may beone of a broad range of defibrillators or patient monitoring devicesmade and/or sold by a number of different manufacturers, according toembodiments of the present invention. The BOA device 104 may also becommunicably coupled with, and configured to aggregate with patientdata, data obtained from a CodeNet Writer™ device manufactured by ZollMedical Corporation, or the like, according to embodiments of thepresent invention.

According to embodiments of the present invention, the BOA device 104 iscommunicably coupled to only one or two of the patient monitoring device106, the patient charting device 108, and the navigation device 110, andis configured to organize and display EMS information from only the oneor two such devices.

Although the modules and applications described with respect to FIG. 11can roughly correspond to the hardware devices with similar designationsin FIG. 1, one of ordinary skill in the art, based on the disclosureprovided herein, will understand that the various modules and/orinstructions for performing the described procedures may be located ondifferent and various hardware devices and/or on hardware devices notdepicted, in different combinations, according to embodiments of thepresent invention. For example, although the BOA device 104 may be atouch-screen PC including and configured to perform the tasks of the BOAmodule 1110, the BOA device 104 may alternatively be a simple displaydevice such as a monitor, with the computational functions of the BOAmodule 1110 and/or mobile asset management module 1106 performed byother hardware, such that only the display information is communicatedto the BOA device 104, according to embodiments of the presentinvention.

The BOA device 104 according to embodiments of the present invention maybe configured to facilitate data entry via a touch screen device withsoftware that permits rapid and easy data entry, similar to the Quicklogcapability of the Zoll Data Systems RescueNet® ePCR Suite. In addition,the BOA device 104 may be configured to permit selection and display ofpatient monitoring data (e.g. 12-lead ECG data) from prior transportsand/or other agencies retrieved from mobile database 118 and/orenterprise database 130, according to embodiments of the presentinvention. Such historical and/or shared patient data may also be madeavailable to hospitals, and/or stored by hospitals or other careinstitutions as part of a data management program. The BOA device 104may also be configured to display streaming ECG information similar tothe “live” display of such information by a defibrillator device, forexample. The BOA device 104 may also be configured to display feedbackto the EMS technician 114 about cardiopulmonary resuscitation beingperformed, to evaluate the CPR technique during and/or after it isadministered. According to embodiments of the present invention, the BOAdevice 104 may be configured to communicably couple with and receiveinformation from an accelerometer and/or other CPR evaluation device,such as a device configured to detect the presence of and/or the timingof and/or the depth/displacement of and/or the velocity of and/or theacceleration of chest compressions, for example the devices and methodsdescribed or referenced in U.S. Pat. No. 6,390,996 issued on May 21,2002, U.S. Pat. No. 6,827,695 issued on Dec. 7, 2004, U.S. Pat. No.7,122,014 issued on Oct. 17, 2006, and U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No.2006/0009809 published on Jan. 12, 2006, which are incorporated byreference herein in their entireties.

FIG. 17 depicts a flow chart 1700 illustrating a method performed by BOAmodule 1110, according to embodiments of the present invention. Theprocess begins at block 1701. The BOA module 1110 is initialized (block1702), and the user may then select devices (block 1704) from whichmedical and/or EMS information will be received. For example, suchdevice selection may involve generating an asynchronous message to bereceived by the patient monitoring module 1102 for establishing aconnection (block 1706), an asynchronous message to be received by thenavigation module 1114 for establishing a connection (block 1708),and/or an asynchronous message to be received by the patient chartingmodule 1112 for establishing a connection (block 1710). A differentsubset of devices (different devices, fewer devices, or more devices)may be selected at any time when the user initiates an asynchronousevent to select or change devices (block 1712).

Once devices have been selected, the BOA device 104 cycles through aseries of different displays (block 1714). This cycling may beprogrammed to occur at preset intervals; for example, the BOA device 104may be configured to cycle the display between different data modelsevery seven seconds. For example, a navigation device data model may bedisplayed (block 1716), which may be similar to the data model depictedin FIG. 3, for example. After a preset time, the display may be switchedto a patient monitoring device data model (block 1718), similar to thedata model depicted in FIG. 4, for example. After another preset time,the display may be switched to a patient charting device data model(block 1720), similar to the data model depicted in FIG. 5, for example.Once the display has cycled through each data model, it may return tothe first data model displayed and repeat the cycle, according toembodiments of the present invention. Such a cycling may be initiated orre-initiated during other tasks when the user initiates an asynchronousevent (block 1722) by selecting the cycle feed button (similar to thebutton 318 of FIG. 3), for example.

When a user selects one of the “feed” buttons (block 1724), anasynchronous event is generated causing the data model corresponding tothat feed to displayed (block 1726) for a longer predetermined period oftime, for example one minute. As an example, if the user selects thepatient charting button 206 (see FIG. 2), the patient charting datamodel similar to FIG. 5 will immediately be displayed and will remaindisplayed for a period of time longer than the default cycle time. Whena user selects the patch notes button 208 (block 1728), an asynchronousevent is generated causing the patch notes data model similar to FIG. 6to be displayed (block 1730) until the user next selects the cycle feedsbutton 318 or a particular feed button 202, 204, 206, according toembodiments of the present invention. When a user selects the protocolsbutton (block 1732), an asynchronous event is generated causing theprotocols data model similar to FIG. 7 to be displayed (block 1734)until the user next selects the cycle feeds button 318 or a particularfeed button 202, 204, 206, according to embodiments of the presentinvention.

When one of the EMS devices receives or generates new data, it may beconfigured to generate an asynchronous notification to be received bythe BOA module 1110, according to embodiments of the present invention.For example, the patient charting module 1112 may generate anasynchronous message when it has new information to share (block 1736),the patient monitoring module 1102 may generate an asynchronous messagewhen it has new information to share (block 1738), and the navigationmodule 1114 may generate an asynchronous message when it has newinformation to share (block 1740), according to embodiments of thepresent invention. These asynchronous messages may include within themthe new or updated data itself. When the BOA module 1110 receives one ormore of these notifications, it updates the data model or data modelsthat correspond to the particular device and/or information received(block 1742). For example, if new patient charting information isreceived from the patient charting module 1112 (which may be running onthe patient charting device 108), the BOA module 1110 will update thepatient charting data model to reflect the most recent data. The BOAmodule 1110 then refreshes its display (block 1744), which results inthe currently displayed data model being replaced with the new datamodel immediately if any data in the data model was updated in block1742. The data model update may then be sent to the BOA enterprisemodule which may reside on enterprise application server 128 (block1746), which may result in an asynchronous message being generated tothe BOA enterprise module (block 1748), according to embodiments of thepresent invention.

Some embodiments of the present invention include various steps, some ofwhich may be performed by hardware components or may be embodied inmachine-executable instructions. These machine-executable instructionsmay be used to cause a general-purpose or a special-purpose processorprogrammed with the instructions to perform the steps. Alternatively,the steps may be performed by a combination of hardware, software,and/or firmware. In addition, some embodiments of the present inventionmay be performed or implemented, at least in part (e.g., one or moremodules), on one or more computer systems, mainframes (e.g., IBMmainframes such as the IBM zSeries, Unisys ClearPath Mainframes, HPIntegrity NonStop servers, NEC Express series, and others), orclient-server type systems. In addition, specific hardware aspects ofembodiments of the present invention may incorporate one or more ofthese systems, or portions thereof.

As such, FIG. 18 is an example of a computer system 1800 with whichembodiments of the present invention may be utilized. According to thepresent example, the computer system includes a bus 1801, at least oneprocessor 1802, at least one communication port 1803, a main memory1804, a removable storage media 1805, a read only memory 1806, and amass storage 1807.

Processor(s) 1802 can be any known processor, such as, but not limitedto, an Intel® Itanium® or Itanium 2® processor(s), or AMD® Opteron® orAthlon MP® processor(s), or Motorola® lines of processors. Communicationport(s) 1803 can be any of an RS-232 port for use with a modem baseddialup connection, a 10/100 Ethernet port, or a Gigabit port usingcopper or fiber, for example. Communication port(s) 1803 may be chosendepending on a network such a Local Area Network (LAN), Wide AreaNetwork (WAN), or any network to which the computer system 1800connects. Main memory 1804 can be Random Access Memory (RAM), or anyother dynamic storage device(s) commonly known to one of ordinary skillin the art. Read only memory 1806 can be any static storage device(s)such as Programmable Read Only Memory (PROM) chips for storing staticinformation such as instructions for processor 1802, for example.

Mass storage 1807 can be used to store information and instructions. Forexample, hard disks such as the Adaptec® family of SCSI drives, anoptical disc, an array of disks such as RAID (e.g. the Adaptec family ofRAID drives), or any other mass storage devices may be used, forexample. Bus 1801 communicably couples processor(s) 1802 with the othermemory, storage and communication blocks. Bus 1801 can be a PCI/PCI-X orSCSI based system bus depending on the storage devices used, forexample. Removable storage media 1805 can be any kind of externalhard-drives, floppy drives, flash drives, IOMEGA® Zip Drives, CompactDisc-Read Only Memory (CD-ROM), Compact Disc-Re-Writable (CD-RW), orDigital Video Disk-Read Only Memory (DVD-ROM), for example. Thecomponents described above are meant to exemplify some types ofpossibilities. In no way should the aforementioned examples limit thescope of the invention, as they are only exemplary embodiments.

Embodiments of the present invention may be configured to achievevarious other solutions in an emergency medical services environment.For example, the BOA device 104, in communication with the navigationdevice 110, may be configured to provide additional mapping and/ornavigation information. The BOA device 104 may display statusinformation about a hospital destination, and may indicate diversion oralternative destinations to direct the ambulance 101 to an appropriatedestination, according to embodiments of the present invention. The BOAdevice 104 may also display characteristics about hospitals and/or otherdestinations, such as the hospital's capabilities (e.g. heart specialty,burn specialty), insurance accepted, patient capacity and currentpatient capacity status, according to embodiments of the presentinvention. The BOA device 104 may also be in communication with theenterprise workstation 122 of the hospital or other destination topermit preregistration or partial preregistration of the patient 116.According to embodiments of the present invention, a hospital withoutavailability shows up for the ambulance driver 112 as not available. TheBOA device 104 may be configured to display such informationsimultaneously with a map and/or during navigation, to facilitatedestination selection. This information may be obtained over the network120 from an enterprise server 126 or 128 and/or from an enterpriseworkstation 122 and/or from the navigation device 110, according toembodiments of the present invention.

The BOA device 104 may also be configured to communicate in various wayswith the user, including with the EMS driver 112 and/or the EMStechnician 114, according to embodiments of the present invention. Forexample, the BOA device 104 may be configured to provide audio prompts,alarms, scheduling, timing, and/or audio streams to EMS users. The BOAdevice 104 may be configured with Bluetooth® connectivity or capability,such that a user may connect or pair a unique Bluetooth® device with BOA104 to receive audio information and/or to communicate voice prompts. Analarm may be configured to sound or to display visually upon atriggering event, for example upon receipt by the BOA device 104 of anasynchronous event signal from a sensor indicating that a detectedparameter is outside an acceptable range or value, according toembodiments of the present invention. Audio and/or visual cues may beused to alert a user to a particular dosage schedule, for examplebeeping when a certain amount of time has elapsed since a firstadministration of a drug. Such alarms and/or schedules may be set orcustomized by the users, or may be selected from a predetermined set ofalarm and scheduling options, according to embodiments of the presentinvention.

According to embodiments of the present invention, the BOA device 104may provide role-based data and/or audio streams; for example, atechnician administering CPR may receive audio and/or visual informationabout the patient's cardiac condition, but the BOA device 104 may filterout other information such as mapping and/or routing information forthat user. Private, customized feedback and/or information may beprovided to EMS users based on their roles, according to embodiments ofthe present invention.

The BOA device 104 may further provide decision support for an EMStechnician, according to embodiments of the present invention. Based oninformation entered by the technician 114 (e.g. via a patient chartingdevice 108) and/or information received from a patient monitoring device106, BOA device 104 may compare the information with internal orexternal databases to display or otherwise convey a differentialdiagnosis, and/or predictive diagnosis (e.g. based on vectors or EKGinformation), according to embodiments of the present invention. Forexample, the BOA device 104 may present the EMS technician 114 with adecision matrix based on symptoms and/or responses to treatments to helpthe EMS technician 114 determine, for example in an interactive format,a potential diagnosis. The BOA device 104 may provide protocols or linksto protocols based on the information received, either from thetechnician 114 or from one of the devices with which it is incommunication.

In one embodiment, the data for the patient's history may be entered viathe BOA device 104 with patient physiological measures via the monitorof BOA device 104. As the differential diagnosis requires both patienthistory, patient examination findings, and measures of the patient'sphysiological state via such monitoring as ECG, capnography and pulseoximetry, these data elements are integrated into a user interface thatautomatically or semi-automatically integrates the various data elementson a single differential diagnosis screen within the application on theBOA device 104, according to embodiments of the present invention. Theinterface of BOA 104 begins by asking the rescuer to choose from a listof common presenting symptoms or complaints by the patient, e.g. dyspneaor respiratory distress. The information such as on the screensillustrated in FIGS. 26-28 (taken directly from Am Fam Physician 2003;68:1803-10, which is incorporated by reference herein) and FIG. 29(taken directly from the Collier County Common Medical Protocol, revisedFeb. 1, 2008), provides a structured approach for rescuers to obtaininformation. As patient history and physical examination findings areentered into the BOA device 104, the differential diagnosis page maygradually narrow down the possible diagnoses. Heart sound measurementand detection may be incorporated into the monitoring device 106 for thedetection of S3 and S4 heart sounds and automatically narrow thedifferential, or suggest for the rescuer to confirm agreement with thesoftware diagnosis, of heart failure or pulmonary edema. A flowchart forincorporating heart sounds is shown in FIGS. 26-29. Pulse oximetry andcapnography are also very helpful measures and may be automaticallyincorporated into the algorithm for more accurate diagnosis.

In one embodiment, rescuers may be able to simply touch the cursor tothe history or physical exam findings listed as possible from thescreen-displayed lists of FIGS. 26-29, thereby minimizing unnecessarykeying inputs. At the bottom of each list of possible findings orhistory is a data entry position for “Other”, for those findings orhistory which are not normally consistent with the presenting condition.In one embodiment, these additional findings, history or physiologicalmeasurements can be compared with a larger differential diagnosisdatabase to suggest other possibilities to the rescuer based on acalculated probability or if the other possible causes have been ruledout, according to embodiments of the present invention.

In much the same way that twelve-lead data and other BOA 104 device datamay be sent to an enterprise environment 102 and displayed and/orretrieved on an enterprise workstation 122 or web-based environment, theBOA device 104 may also be configured to receive, display, and/or storesimilar information from an enterprise environment 102, according toembodiments of the present invention. For example, in a situation inwhich a patient is being transported from one hospital to another toreceive specialized care, the hospital may send to the BOA device 104information about the patient's vitals and/or health history and/orphysician recommendations. Alternatively, the hospital may grantelectronic authorization for the remote EMS technician to query itsdatabase or databases where such information is kept, to enable the EMStechnician 114 to select, using the BOA device 104 interface, which andhow much information he would like to receive. In this way, techniciansin an ambulance 101 can see what is happening to a patient at thehospital, for example.

The BOA device 104 may also include speech recognition software and/ortext-to-speech software, according to embodiments of the presentinvention. As such, the BOA device 104 may provide an audio signal thatreads text or numeric data received from one or more devices, to conveythe data to the EMS technician 114 audibly, such that the EMS technician114 need not divert visual attention from the patient or from anothertask, according to embodiments of the present invention. The BOA device104 may also recognize voice command prompts, to enable the user tooperate the BOA device 104 by voice instead of having to divert manualattention from the patient or the task at hand, according to embodimentsof the present invention.

The BOA device 104 also be configured to retrieve audio data stored on adevice, such as a patient monitoring device 106, to help the EMStechnician 114 in treatment or diagnosis, and/or for storage, technicianevaluation, quality control, or later playback. For example, the patientmonitoring device 114 may be a defibrillator that records a continuousaudio stream; the BOA device 104 may access the continuous audio streamand permit selective play back of certain portions and/or transmit theaudio stream or audio file for remote access or storage, according toembodiments of the present invention. The BOA device 104 may also beconfigured to receive audio information from a patient monitoring device106 or other device even before the EMS technician 114 has reached thepatient, to help the EMS technician 114 to prepare for the scene.

The BOA device 104 may be configured to connect with a video monitoringdevice, for example a webcam, or a standalone video camera, and/or avideo capture device that is mounted on or part of another device towhich the BOA device 104 connects, according to embodiments of thepresent invention. For example, a video or still camera mounted in theback of an ambulance 101 may provide visual data to BOA 104 for storageand/or transmission and/or retransmission to the enterprise environment102 and/or the administration environment 103. Such a video feed maypermit a physician waiting at a hospital to view the patient's statusbefore the patient arrives, for example.

With an ability to connect with and interface multiple EMS-relateddevices, both clinical and non-clinical, and aggregate suchEMS-information (both clinical and non-clinical) from multiple devices,the BOA device 104 may also be configured for inventory monitoring andcontrol. For example, the BOA device 104 may be communicably coupledwith a bar code scanner, a radio frequency identification (“RFID”)receiver or transceiver, or other inventory monitoring device. The BOAdevice 104 may maintain or communicate with a database that tracks aparticular set of inventoried items, whether they be medical devices,supplies, drugs, personnel, or the like.

For example, the BOA device 104 may include a database that tracks theinventory of devices, supplies, and drugs on board a particularambulance 101. When a new device is placed on the ambulance 101, the newdevice is equipped with a tag or bar code or some other uniqueidentifier, and the BOA device 104 may be configured to automaticallysense, or to be instructed to sense (e.g. by scanning a bar code withthe bar code scanner), the presence of a new inventory item. The BOAdevice 104 may also prompt the user with a status update request, forexample: new item, item being removed, item being dispensed, itemdestroyed, item transferred. Hence, at the beginning of an ambulance 101shift, the crew may query the BOA device 104 to display the inventory ofdevices, supplies, and/or drugs on board, and may supplement theinventory for any deficient item. When a drug is administered, it may bescanned into the BOA device 104 system with an indication that it hasbeen dispensed and should be replaced. At the end of a shift, the crewmay check the inventory via the BOA device 104 and restock necessarysupplies and/or transmit the inventory situation to a third party forany appropriate restocking, monitoring, and/or verification activity.

Such inventory information may also be conveyed by BOA 104 for remoteuse and/or storage. For example, a defibrillator patient monitoringdevice 106 may be checked out to each crew of each ambulance 101, andthis information may be sent by BOA device 104 through network 120 tothe enterprise storage server 126, which may aggregate such informationacross multiple ambulances 101. A shift supervisor using a remoteenterprise workstation 122 may query such database to determine whichdefibrillators are out in the field on which ambulances 101, accordingto embodiments of the present invention. In this way, the BOA device 104may auto-upload inventory information to a central system.

The BOA device 104 may also be configured to connect with devices(clinical and/or non-clinical) that track EMS technician 114 and patient116 safety, according to embodiments of the present invention. Forexample, the BOA device 104 may be configured to connect withaccelerometer and/or tire pressure sensors, and/or other vehicle-relatesensors to track driving conditions, driving behavior, safety level,and/or event occurrences, according to embodiments of the presentinvention. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the BOAdevice 104 may be configured to connect with a breathalyzer device,which may be used to sense and/or estimate the blood alcohol content ofthe driver and/or patient. The BOA device 104 may collect such data anddisplay it to the user in a feedback format, and/or may send such datathrough the network 120 for storage and/or remote evaluation, accordingto embodiments of the present invention. The BOA device 104 may alsomonitor a vehicle's maintenance schedule and alert the user whenmaintenance is needed or recommended, according to embodiments of thepresent invention.

Due to its connection with the network 120 and also with other devices106, 108, 110, the BOA device 104 may also serve as an ambulanceheadquarters and/or a type of “repeater” in a trauma or disastersituation, according to embodiments of the present invention. Forexample, the BOA device 104 may be configured to connect with multipledevices including devices outside the ambulance 101 and/or in adifferent ambulance 101, to permit the BOA device 104 user to view andmanage response treatments, for example. Such a configuration alsopermits data from multiple devices (e.g. multiple defibrillators orother patient monitoring devices) to be conveyed through the network 120to an enterprise environment 102 and/or administration environment 103,according to embodiments of the present invention. In another example, asingle ambulance 101 equipped with a BOA device 104 system as describedabove may be deployed to a disaster or trauma situation, and the BOAdevice 104 may be connected to and aggregating information from multiplepatient monitoring devices 106. A supervisor or situation manager mayuse the BOA device 104 to monitor treatment status, prioritize patientmedical needs, transmit relevant information to selected outsidecaregivers, hospitals, and/or treatment centers, and to distributeresources accordingly.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, the BOA device104 is configured to perform diagnostics on and/or to initiateself-diagnostics for devices with which it is connected. The BOA device104 may also be used for training and/or education of EMS technicians114, by making downloaded protocols available for display, and/or bysimulating a medical emergency (e.g. simulating the device feeds frommultiple clinical and non-clinical devices during a medical emergency ortransport).

According to some embodiments of the present invention, the BOA device104 provides a visual indication of whether its connection with thenavigation device 110 (or other predetermined device) is online oroffline. According to some embodiments, the user can select to viewhistorical rather than current patient information; for example, theuser may select to view thumbnails of previous twelve-leads, and cansend a collection of twelve-lead data snapshots to an enterpriseenvironment 102 (e.g. a hospital), each with a unique serial number, forexample. The enterprise user 124 may also view the patch notes from theBOA device 104, so that the EMS technician 114 need not convey themtelephonically, according to embodiments of the present invention.

The BOA device 104 may also include a drop-down menu interface, listingeach device to which the BOA device 104 is connected and its connectionstatus, according to embodiments of the present invention. The BOAdevice 104 may also be connected with a biometric device such as afingerprint reader or a retinal scanner, or a non-biometric device suchas a keypad, to assist in verifying the identity of a patient and/or inauthorizing access to patient medical records. Such records may bestored in remote databases and/or stored by different entities, forexample.

FIGS. 20-23 illustrate an EMS communication interface device 2000,configured to facilitate communication between a patient monitoringmodule 1102 and a device adapter/communication interface 1104 (see FIG.11). Not all patient monitoring devices 106 include the hardwarenecessary for certain kinds of communication (e.g. wirelesscommunication), either with BOA device 104 or with other enterpriseenvironments 103. An EMS communication interface device 2000 may beadded as an accessory to the patient monitoring device 106 in order tosupplement its communication capability, as well as provide additionalfunctionality, according to embodiments of the present invention.

The EMS communication interface device 2000 may be configured tointerface with the patient monitoring device 106 via an existinghardware interface, such as, for example, via a PCMCIA card slot, a USBslot, or the like, according to embodiments of the present invention.The following example illustrates an EMS communication interface device2000 that interfaces with a patient monitoring device 106 via a PCMCIAcard slot in the device 106, according to embodiments of the presentinvention.

FIG. 20 illustrates a carrier board 2010 design for an EMS communicationinterface device 2000, according to embodiments of the presentinvention. The carrier board 2010 may be a custom carrier board for asystems-on-module (“SOM”) hosting of various subsystems. The carrierboard 2010 may host a PCMCIA edge connector 2030, PCMCIA address andcontrol transceivers 2012, PCMCIA data transceivers 2014, a board powersupply 2016, a first-in-first-out (“FIFO”) co-processor input memorybuffer 2018, a flash memory common memory plane (“CMP”) 2020, a complexprogrammable logic device (“CPLD”) attribute memory plane (“AMP”) spoofshifter 2022; a universal serial bus (“USB”) universal asynchronousreceiver-transmitter (“UART”) bridge 2024, a CPLD programming interface2026, and a reset push button 2028. The power supplies for 3.3V, 1.8V,and 1.5V levels may be derived from PCMCIA 5V and possibly 12V inputs,according to embodiments of the present invention. Device 2000 mayfurther include a USB 2.0 port.

The carrier board 2010 may also include a SOM coprocessor subsystem 2040such as, for example, a Gumstix Overo Air SOM or a LogicPD Torpedo SOM.SOM 2040 may include a Bluetooth (“BT”) radio and/or antenna and/or aWiFi (e.g. 802.11a/b/g/n) radio and/or antenna 2042. The 802.11a/gsubsystem may be initialized and configured during boot, and may also beconfigured via terminal session, according to embodiments of the presentinvention. SOM 2040 may also include a storage device 2044, such as, forexample, a removable micro SD storage/memory slot. A micro SD card maybe used in such a slot as random access storage as well as a source ofthe boot strap code to initialize the co-processor subsystem 2040. SOM2040 may also include a power management integrated circuit (“IC”) 2048,such as, for example, a Texas Instruments TPS65950 integrated powermanagement IC. SOM 2040 may also include a processor 2046 such as, forexample, a TI Open Multimedia Applications Platform (“OMAP”) 3503processor with 256 MB of random access memory (“RAM”) and 256 MB ofnon-volatile RAM (“NVRAM”) in a package-on-package (“POP”) package. Thecoprocessor subsystem 2040 may be communicably coupled to the carrierboard 2010 via dual 70-pin headers, according to embodiments of thepresent invention. The carrier board 2010 may also include a Joint TestAction Group (“JTAG”) interface for programming, according toembodiments of the present invention.

The device 2000 may include CPLD firmware, such as, for example, ActelIgloo Nano AGL250V2-VQG100_0. Such CPLD firmware may govern linear flash(“LF”) control signals for read/write operations, may govern FIFOcontrol signals for write and read operations in a manner of a FIFOdual-ported implementation, and may employ level shifted address anddata buses for LF, FIFO, and the OMAP, according to embodiments of thepresent invention. The device 2000 may include an operating system, suchas, for example, OE 2.6.x Open Embedded Linux. The device 2000 mayemploy the C# Common Language Runtime (2.6.2), for example the Monocommon language runtime (“CLR”), according to embodiments of the presentinvention. The device 2000 may include persistent data storage usingSQLite software library, according to embodiments of the presentinvention. The device 2000 may perform asset management patterned datastorage for framed data, and/or asset management patterned services forparameterized frame retrieval, according to embodiments of the presentinvention. The device 2000 may accomplish WiFi communications using UserDatagram Protocol/Internet Protocol (“UDP/IP”) for streaming dataoutput, a .NET remoting service bus, and/or a .NET remoting eventingbus, according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 21 illustrates a system overview for an EMS communication interfacedevice 2000, according to embodiments of the present invention. Apatient monitoring module 1102 processes and sends patient monitoringdata. The patient monitoring module 1102 may be implemented by a ZollE-Series Defibrillator, according to embodiments of the presentinvention. Such patient monitoring module 1102 is configured to transmitstreaming patient vital signs and twelve lead information, as well asfull disclosure data, over a BT wireless connection 2110, to a BTplug-in 2112 that is part of a device adapter 1104, according toembodiments of the present invention. As used herein, the term “FullDisclosure Data” means all data recorded by a patient monitoring device106, and includes, without limitation, patient vital signs, twelve-leaddata, audio information, ECG information, lead type, gain, defibrillatorshock information, system mode, paddle type, heart rate alarm status,heart rate, configuration information, code marker information,non-invasive blood pressure measurements, patient name, patientidentification, biphasic defibrillator data, invasive blood pressureinformation, invasive blood pressure waveform data, temperature data,SpO₂ information, SpO₂ waveform, sample number information,accelerometer information, accelerometer waveform, impedance waveform,CPR field data, APLS waveform, and/or APLS compression detection.

A WiFi wireless connection has a much higher bandwidth for the transferof information than a BT wireless connection. However, in some cases,the patient monitoring device 106 on which the patient monitoring module1102 runs may not include WiFi capabilities, but it may include apersonal computer memory card international association (“PCMCIA”) cardslot with a PCMCIA interface 2114. A PCMCIA card may also be referred toas a PC card. The EMS communication interface device 2000 may be pluggedin to the PCMCIA card slot 2114. The device 2000 may include a linearflash memory card 2122 or other memory element for recording fulldisclosure data from the patient monitoring device 106, according toembodiments of the present invention. The memory card 2122 may be usedto replicate all existing memory card functionality of the patientmonitoring device 106, by storing in linear flash memory 2122 all datawritten to the patient monitoring device 106 data slot, by permitting autility mode user-initiated retrieval of stored data from linear flashmemory 2122, and/or by permitting a utility mode user-initiated erasureof the linear flash memory 2122, according to embodiments of the presentinvention.

The full disclosure data stream from the patient monitoring module 1102may also be received through the PCMCIA slot 2114 by an EMScommunication interface module 2116, which transforms the fulldisclosure data into incident data, and provides the incident data overa WiFi connection 2118 to a WiFi plug-in 2120 that is part of thecommunication interface 1104, according to embodiments of the presentinvention.

FIG. 22 illustrates another system overview for an EMS communicationinterface device 2000, according to embodiments of the presentinvention. As illustrated in FIG. 21, full disclosure data is recordedin a memory module 2122, for example a flash linear analog memory module2122, according to embodiments of the present invention. The flashanalog module 2122 may be read, written, and/or erased by the patientmonitoring module 1102 similarly to the fashion in which any memoryelement permanently associated with the patient monitoring device 106may be read, written, and/or erased by via the device 106, according toembodiments of the present invention. This may be accomplished by usinga utility mode of the device 106, for example. As such, the flash analog2122 is not interfaced to the SOM (e.g. to microprocessor 2204), butonly to the patient monitoring module 1102 in write/read/erase fashion.

According to embodiments of the present invention, the flash analogmemory 2122 is designed to resemble the linear flash card that isnormally associated with, and which may be embedded within, the patientmonitoring device 106. Certain information may be stored in anon-volatile memory area, for example in the attribute memory plane, andcertain other information may be stored in the first series of bytes ofthe common memory plane, to make the memory 2122 resemble the internalmemory of the patient monitoring device 106. The communicationsinterface 2116 may be a FIFO buffer 2202, which may receive fulldisclosure data from the patient monitoring module 1102 via the PCMCIAinterface 2114, and pass the full disclosure data to a microprocessor2204. The FIFO 2202 is uni-directional from the patient monitoringmodule 106 to the microprocessor 2204, according to embodiments of thepresent invention. Incident data sent may also be persisted in the assetmanagement database 2314.

According to embodiments of the present invention, the FIFO buffer 2202and/or the flash analog memory module 2122 are hardware-only solutionsthat function even when the SOM 2040 is non-operational. Thisfunctionality permits data protection in the case in which the SOM 2040is not functional, and permits data buffering for the SOM 2040 toinitialize (e.g. to boot and start the EMS communication interfaceservices), according to embodiments of the present invention. Duringtherapy mode data capture to the card 2122, if the SOM 2040 were to bedisabled, device 106 data would not be lost, according to embodiments ofthe present invention. This also permits users who have been trained onutility modes of a patient monitoring device 106 related to the storageof data on a memory module to continue using such utility modes, evenwith the data being stored on memory module 2122 instead of a memorymodule internal to device 106, according to embodiments of the presentinvention.

Using a plug-in 2120 that is part of the communication interface 1104,incident data (“ID”) may be streamed from the microprocessor 2204 over aWiFi connection 2118. Such information may be received and displayed byBOA device 104, for example, and may be displayed in real time and/or inclinically significant time (e.g. with a delay not larger than thatwhich permits a medically accurate and timely observation, diagnosis,and/or treatment decision to be made). According to embodiments of thepresent invention, the incident data may be streamed on a BOA device 104with no more than a one-second delay. For example, twelve-lead datagenerated by a defibrillator patient monitoring device 106 may beupdated at least once each second, according to embodiments of thepresent invention.

The microprocessor 2204 may also be programmed to generate asynchronous(e.g. event based) notifications via an eventing bus, over the WiFiconnection 2118, according to embodiments of the present invention. Forexample, if a patient vital sign falls outside of present parameters,the microprocessor 2204 may be programmed to send an alarm event viaeventing bus across the communication interface 1104.

In addition, the microprocessor 2204 may be programmed to permit atwo-way service bus/service interface, to permit the requesting ofincident data related specific incidents, according to embodiments ofthe present invention. For example, after a treatment incident, the usermay request, via a service bus, from microprocessor 2204 all informationassociated with the particular incident (using a unique incidentidentifier, such as a case number, patient name, or the like). Themicroprocessor 2204 would then query the asset management module 2314and retrieve any records associated with the particular incident, andsend them back out through service bus, according to embodiments of thepresent invention. In this way, users may retrieve specific incidentdata rather than having to download all of the card file data (which inmany cases will relate to multiple incidents, or information beyond thespecific subset of information sought). This is made possible by theconversion of full disclosure data into incident data by themicroprocessor 2204 prior to storage and/or forwarding. In some cases,users may wish to request all data stored by asset management module2314, which would be a similar operation to the request for the cardfile directly from the patient monitoring module 1102.

FIG. 23 illustrates a software logic diagram for an EMS communicationinterface device 2000, according to embodiments of the presentinvention. A Linux Kernel 2302 may include a general purposeinput/output (“GPIO”) module 2304 configured to receive the data stream(e.g. the full disclosure data) 2301 from the patient monitoring device106. The data stream 2301 is interfaced to the system 2000 through theFIFO module 2202 which is controlled with several GPIO 2304 lines,according to embodiments of the present invention. The FIFO is read tothe SOM using GPIO status, control and eight bits of data, according toembodiments of the present invention. The byte stream driver 2308 may beimplemented in user space rather than a device driver to facilitatedebugging, in some embodiments. The byte stream driver 2308 may keep theFIFO 2202 drained by monitoring the FIFO 2202 empty flag (which may bepolled as opposed to interrupt driven for debugging efficiency in oneembodiment).

Bytes read from the FIFO by the byte stream driver 2308 are re-assembledas blocks similar to those delivered by the patient monitoring device106 and framed in the data formatter 2310, according to embodiments ofthe present invention. This results in a frame event stream 2303 fromthe data formatter 2310. The frame event stream is then sent to an assetmanagement module 2312, which saves the frames to the database 2314 andforwards them out the WiFi channel to the TCP/IP module 2306 of theLinux Kernel 2302. According to some embodiments of the presentinvention, the frame event stream 2303 is sent over the WiFi connectionvia an encrypted UDP broadcast, so that it may be received by a widerange of clients (e.g. an iPhone may be configured to receive the UDPbroadcast). The frame event stream 2303 may also be received by aclinical time feed plug-in 2316 of the communications interface module1104, according to embodiments of the present invention.

Asynchronous requests for incident data stored in the database 2314 maybe made by authorized external clients, such as via an incident plug-in2318 of the communications interface module 1104, according toembodiments of the present invention. Such incident service calls areshown in dashed lines in FIG. 23. Although database 2314 is shown as anSQLite database, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate, basedon the disclosure provided herein, that other database formats may beemployed by asset management module 2312, according to embodiments ofthe present invention.

According to embodiments of the present invention, the byte stream isformatted by data formatter 2310 into blocks of data resembling device106 data blocks, and these full data blocks are broadcast in a WiFiformat upon construction (e.g. as a block is made, it is sent over theWiFi interface). According to embodiments of the present invention, theasset management module 2312 frames the byte stream into consistentblocks of time, for example one second per frame, and each frame issaved into the asset management patterned data storage (e.g. database2314).

Although FIGS. 21-22 show full disclosure data as two separate feeds, asingle full disclosure data feed may be bifurcated and sent to both theflash analog module 2122 and the FIFO 2202 simultaneously, according toembodiments of the present invention.

A user may query the device 2000 to request health information, forexample, running time, exceptions detected, and other information fromthe patient monitoring device 106, according to embodiments of thepresent invention. A user may also request specific incident-based datafrom the device 2000; for example, a user may send a query that says“send all of the cases,” or “send data relating to a specific case” or“send all twelve-lead data from a specific case.” The device 2000 mayalso stream delivery of case data so as to permit multiple authorizedreceivers (e.g. multiple BOA devices 104) to obtain the datasimultaneously, according to embodiments of the present invention.According to some embodiments of the present invention, device 2000facilitates data sharing between the patient monitoring device 106 andthe enterprise environment 103.

On power up, the device 106 interrogates the occupant of the PCMCIA slot2114 to ascertain if a valid linear flash card 2122 is present. Thevalidity test may consist of reading a series of bytes from the LF AMPand validating the values against sets of acceptable cards or anacceptable card. If a valid card is found, the device 106 reads a seriesof bytes from the CMP to test for validity and to determine if the cardhas been “formatted” according to the requirements of the device 106. Inthe absence of such a series of bytes, the device 106 may write suchinformation to the card 2122, according to embodiments of the presentinvention. Once the card 2122 is validated, the device 106 begins towrite the device data to the LF card 2122 as byte streams that areformatted into blocks as described, above.

Although the device 2000 is depicted as interacting with device 106 in aone-way fashion, the device 2000 may also be configured to interactbi-directionally with device 2000. For example, the device 2000 may beconfigured to provide a WiFi user interface similar to the userinterface observed directly on the patient monitoring device 106, topermit total or partial remote control of the patient monitoring device106, according to embodiments of the present invention.

Packaged in a PCMCIA type x housing, each card 2010 contains a connector2030, an array of flash memories packaged in thin small outline packages(“TSOP”) and card control logic. The card control logic provides thesystem interface and controls the internal flash memories as well as theinput FIFO to the SOM, according to embodiments of the presentinvention. Level shifters are present to adapt PCMCIA logic voltages tocard logic voltages.

Card logic voltages of 3.3V, 1.8V, and 1.5V may be derived from thePCMCIA VCC voltage (TTL, +5V, possibly +12V). A single stage for 3.3Vand 5V conversions is built using three discrete transceivers. A CPLD isused to perform 3.3V and 1.8V conversions.

Part Logic Voltages Power Notes J1   +5 V +5 V, +12 V  2X34 PCMCIAconnector U5, U6, U7   +5 V: +3.3 V   +5 V, +3.3 V Level Shifters U3+3.3 V +3.3 V Flash Memory U7 +3.3 V +3.3 V FIFO U1 +3.3 V: +1.8 V +3.3V, +1.8 V CPLD MCU +1.8 V +4.0 V OMAP SOM

Data enters FIFO at 3.3V from the PCMCIA byte stream. Reading the FIFOis clocked an 8 bit byte at a time on the read clock shifted between 3.3and 1.8 to OMAP, through the CPLD. OMAP control and status interfacebits may be converted in a similar fashion. Each carrier card 2010 mayhave a USB2.0 port. OMAP UART signals are connected to a USB to UARTserial bridge 2024, according to embodiments of the present invention.

A JTAG interface for programming the CPLD may be provided. A 2×34, A andB sided PCMCIA Connector (J1) may be used, that inter-connects I/O,status and power signals between the device and the card, according toembodiments of the present invention. For the device signals that thecard interface is interested in, there is a group of three transceivers(U5, U6, and U7) that inter-convert PCMCIA voltage (VCC) and boardvoltage (3V3), according to embodiments of the present invention. Device2000 is interested in 26 address bits, 8 data bits, and 6 controlsignals that are intended to be level-shifted, according to embodimentsof the present invention. U5 and U6 are uni-directional 16b inputshifters from device to card for address and control information,according to embodiments of the present invention. U7 is abi-directional 8b level shifter for 8 bits of data.

According to embodiments of the present invention, the device 2000 readsand writes data through this interface to LF memory. U5 shifting 16address bits [PCA0:PCA15] to [A0:A15]. U6 shifting 10 address bits[PC16:PC25] to [A16:A25], and 6 control signals {PC_REGn, PC_RESET,PC_CE1n, PC_CE2n, PC_OEn, PC_BWEn} to {REGn, RESET, CE1n, CE2n, OEn,BWEn}.

Sig Description Active REGn Attribute Memory Select Low CE1n Card enable1 Low CE2n Card enable 2 Low OEn Output enable Low BWEn Write enable LowRESET Reset High

[PCD0:PCD7] 8 data bits (U2). Address shifters may be input only, inwhich case the card does not generate address information to the device2000, only outbound addressing (device to card) is exposed, according toembodiments of the present invention. The data shifter is bi-directionalas the device can read and write data to and from the card, according toembodiments of the present invention. U5 shifts 16 bits of address andU6 shifts 8 control signals and the upper 8 bits of the address andcontrol signals from PCMCIA VCC to 3V3.

Device 2000 is configured to permit streaming data transmission via WiFiduring therapy mode operations of the device 106, as well as post-caseupload of device data. The device 2000 has hardware components as wellas programmable elements using both firmware and embedded software,including an embedded operating system as described, above. According tosome embodiments, the EMS communication interface device 2000 is thickerthan a standard Type III PCMCIA card.

An embodiment of the present invention may include one of more of thefollowing features and/or characteristics:

-   -   The carrier may be a PCMCIA card    -   The carrier may be inserted into a patient monitoring device        PCMCIA data slot.    -   The card 2000 interfaces to the patient monitoring device 106 in        such a way as to appear to the patient monitoring device 106 as        a valid LF card (“linear flash analog”) 2122.    -   The card 2000 presents the PCMCIA byte stream, written by the        patient monitoring device 106, via a buffered hardware        interface, to a SOM processor.    -   The carrier stores the received PCMCIA byte stream to a        non-volatile storage subsystem (“linear flash analog”) such that        all of the patient monitoring device 106 read/write/erase        functionality is preserved in all device 106 modes of operation        supporting these operations.    -   The SOM provides IEEE 802.11. a/b/g/n wireless communications        capability.    -   The SOM provides Bluetooth V2.0+EDR wireless communications        capability.    -   The SOM provides a micro SD card slot.    -   The SOM supports watchdog type monitoring to provide for        automatic reset if the SOM becomes non-functional.    -   During patient monitoring device 106 or SOM reset or        initialization, data is captured to flash analog memory.    -   Data capture continues uninterrupted during SOM reset.    -   The system 5000 is designed such that data being written by the        patient monitoring device 106 is saved to the flash analog        regardless of SOM state    -   The SOM is able to access data saved while the SOM was        unavailable.    -   The carrier board provides a USB connector.    -   The carrier SOM combination supports USB 2.0 On-The-Go (“OTG”).    -   Device 2000 form factor includes PCMCIA standard dimensions in        width and height.    -   Device 2000 form factor includes a width of 85.6 mm×54.0 mm X a        thickness (in some cases, this thickness is greater than type        III which is 10.5 mm)    -   Device 2000 thickness is no larger than permitted by device 106        PCMCIA slot.    -   All carrier board components are mounted on one side of the        carrier card.    -   The interface to the patient monitoring device 106 is via slot        bay via 68-pin PCMCIA card edge connector.    -   Device 2000 is encapsulated to meet medical device requirements        for EMC/RFI.    -   The SOM is mounted on the carrier using 2 AVX 5602 70 pin        connectors.    -   Device 2000 is powered from the PCMCIA data slot, which may be        on the order of 2.5 W continuous with peak current not exceeding        600 mA.    -   Device 2000 may utilize 15 GPIO pins to control reading FIFO        byte stream buffer.    -   Device 2000 may utilize 3 UART lines from the SOM connected and        a USB bridge on the carrier.    -   Device 2000 may include an antenna for WiFi.    -   Device 2000 may include an antenna for BT.    -   Device 2000 may use an Angstrom Open Embedded Linux operating        system (“O/S”).    -   The device 2000 O/S may include Mono for the purposes of running        code implemented in C#.    -   The device 2000 O/S may include SQLite.    -   The device 2000 may support the use of USB for bidirectional        serial communications.    -   The device 2000 provides secure wireless communications,        including end-point authentication, confidentiality, integrity,        and/or delivery confirmation.    -   External data recipients (external processes to the device 2000)        are able to request streaming data delivery.    -   Data recipients are able to request complete incident data        delivery by incident identifier, e.g. post-incident data.    -   Device 2000 software is upgradeable via wireless interface.    -   Device 2000 software is verified at run time using a cyclic        redundancy code (“CRC”)-like mechanism.

A device 2000 according to an embodiment of the present invention maypermit individual screens for different receiving devices (e.g.different receiving devices using the communications interface 1104) topermit different users to obtain different data. For example, one user'ssettings could be configured to receive and display the frame eventstream data relating to a patient's twelve-lead data, while anadministrative technician user's settings could be configured toperiodically request only frames associated with error codes generatedby the patient monitoring device 106, according to embodiments of thepresent invention. Similarly, the same data may be received by and/ordisplayed by multiple users simultaneously over a WiFi connection,according to embodiments of the present invention.

In this way, the data from a patient monitoring device 106 may bestreamed, e.g. over a wireless WiFi connection, from a patient's houseto or from an ambulance, and/or from an ambulance to or from a hospital.Various frames in the event stream may be filtered and/or requested,such that a specific subset of data may be obtained. For example,respiration data may be included in a frame event stream generated bydevice 2000, according to embodiments of the present invention.

A device 2000 according to an embodiment of the present invention may becombined with other types of patient monitoring devices 106, for examplean automatic external defibrillator (“AED”). The device 2000 may thus beconfigured to send status information from the AED, to facilitatesoftware updates for the AED, and/or to remotely test the AED, accordingto embodiments of the present invention. Such a device 2000 may also beused with a patient charting device, for example to combine the patientcharting device 108 information from one vendor/platform with thepatient monitoring device 106 information from another vendor/platform,according to embodiments of the present invention. The device 2000 mayalso function as a data aggregator, to parse, organize, and placestreams of information into discrete frames information that are moreeasily sorted, queried, and supplied at a later, post-incident timeframe, according to embodiments of the present invention.

According to embodiments of the present invention, the patientmonitoring device 106 (e.g. defibrillator) sends data to the device 2000in data blocks, for example ECG data, or patient's current heart rate. Acollection of data blocks corresponding to one incident may be referredto as incident data. Full disclosure data is the concatenation of dataassociated with all incidents, and may be broken into sequences of datablocks corresponding to each individual/patient. When a service requestis received for an incident, all of the frames stored on device 2000 forthat incident are collected and put together in sequence. According toembodiments of the present invention, each ECG block corresponds to 100ms of ECG data, which provides ten data blocks per second. Thedefibrillator may add to each data block an incident identifier, timeinformation about when the data block was recorded, and/or a computinghash for data integrity purposes, according to embodiments of thepresent invention.

Device 2000 (which is referred to in some figures as a “Zango” device)and BOA device 104 (which is referred to in some figures as a RescueNetLink, or RNL, device) work together, according to embodiments of thepresent invention. Device 2000, by virtue of its embedded computer,embodies a powerful processing engine. This processing engine is used tomanage sophisticated data, communications, and applications operationson behalf of BOA device 104 users, according to embodiments of thepresent invention. According to one embodiment of the present invention,the device 2000 does not have input/output user interfaces (e.g., nokeyboard, or display), so it works in conjunction with BOA device 104 toprovide users access to the communications and data management servicesit supports, according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIGS. 20 and 23 illustrate the logical and functional architecture ofthe EMS communications interface card 2000 processing and the BOA device104 processing, respectively. When device 2000 is not connected todevice 104, device 2000 stores all device data and can transmit it todevice 104 when a connection is established or restored.

FIG. 30 illustrates a data transmission interface, according toembodiments of the present invention. Zango device (1 a), can beconfigured to perform a number of functions, according to embodiments ofthe present invention:

-   -   Frame defibrillator incident data blocks.    -   Stream framed incident data.    -   Save incident data frames to Zango database.    -   Host a set of data management services upon the Zango database.        -   In one embodiment, data management services are read/erase            only. Services to modify incident data are not supplied.

The “EMS communications interface channel” (1 a, 1 b, 1 c) provides ameans to transmit patient monitoring data (e.g. E Series data) to theBOA device 104. This channel uses the device 2000 to connect to BOA 104.

The RNL Zango Client (1 c) can be configured to perform a number offunctions:

-   -   Receive streamed incident frame data (1 b).    -   Present incident frame data on the Mobile Link Display (1 e)        (parse, render, 1 d).    -   Store incident frame data into the Mobile Link database (1 f)    -   Host a set of data management services upon the Mobile Link        database (1 f).        -   In some embodiments, data management services are read/erase            only; and services to modify incident data are not supplied.    -   Forward 12 lead ecg and vitals data to Field Link. (1 g)    -   Consume Zango data management services (1 b).

The following table lists and describes various elements of FIG. 30,described with respect to one embodiment of the present invention.

Notation (FIG. 30) Description Notes 1a Zango accessory Data managementaccessory for ZOLL E Series. Captures, stores, and transmits E Seriesdata written to the E Series data slot to connect the E Series data toRNL. 1b Zango UDP/IP transmissions over WPA2 secured 802.11. 1b ZangoTCP/IP service invocation response transactions over WPA2 secured802.11. 1c RNL Zango Client RNL receiver of Zango transmissions. 1a, 1b,1c Zango channel 1d Zango parsing and Zango messages from the renderingengine E Series are parsed and rendered for acute medical viewing. 1eMobile Link Display 1f Mobile Link Storage 1g RNL Protocol: ReliableUDP/IP over secured cellular networks. 1h RNL Field Link Server Mobilelink message receiver in Field Link environment. 1c, 1g, 1h RNL MobileLink to The RNL Mobile Link to Field Link Field Link ChannelCommunications connects Mobile Link to Channel Field Link using reliableUDP/IP over secured cellular networks. 1j Field Link Storage 1i FieldLink parsing and rendering engine 1k Field Link web server 1l Securedconnection to Field Link users 1m Field Link web viewer

FIG. 31 illustrates an EMS communication interface transmissionprocessing block diagram, according to embodiments of the presentinvention. The E Series writes a continuous byte stream of data to thePCMCIA Data Slot. The byte stream consists of E Series data blockmessages some of which are sent periodically and some of which are sentepisodically. An example a periodic message is the ecg message. The ESeries writes the ecg values for the currently displayed lead once per100 ms, the message contains 25 data values (250 Hz samples, 4 msapart), according to embodiments of the present invention.

Examples of episodic messages are the vital sign messages. The E Seriessends a particular vital sign message when a particular vital signparameter value has changed; asynchronous messages are sent with noparticular frequency, according to embodiments of the present invention.

The byte stream is bifurcated at the input to the Zango card. One branchstores data into an on board (16 MB) linear flash, replicating all ofthe E Series linear flash operations. All data written is stored in thelinear flash subsystem. The interface is hardware level, instant onprepared to receive and save the E Series byte stream to flashsubsystem.

The second byte stream branch goes into the processor side of the Zangocard. The processor side of the Zango card functions to process the bytestream performing the logical operations illustrated in FIG. 31. In thenon-faulted case the byte stream receiver passes bytes to the byte blockfactory. The byte block factory re-constructs E Series data blockmessages from the byte stream. In this operation, 12 lead ecg datablocks are reconstructed and managed on a separate path to the incidentpath (sets of 12 lead data blocks are collected into entire 12 leadmessages). The 12 lead data is entirely preserved in the case stream.One of the reasons for storing them separately is to permit a serviceuser to request to see a 12 lead record on the service channel, ratherthan uploading the entire incident to get the 12 lead data, according toembodiments of the present invention.

Blocks are then framed into a configurable time interval's worth of datablocks. For example, frames of one second in size might have on theorder of 15 data blocks in the one second frame. Frames are collectedinto constructs of cases or incidents. Frames are stored in the Zangodatabase. Complete incidents are marked (collection of all incidentframes) and managed as incidents as they are completed. Frames are alsostreamed on WiFi where they can be received by authorized clientapplications, such as the RNL Zango Client described, below, withrespect to FIG. 32.

The upper row of boxes in FIG. 31 identify detection and error handlingprocesses for risk control of compromised data faults, according toembodiments of the present invention. Byte stream, block, framing, 12Lead, or incident error all result in the following behaviors, accordingto embodiments of the present invention:

-   -   Data is marked as invalid.    -   Invalid data is not rendered for a user to view during the acute        treatment phase of an incident    -   Data is stored marked as invalid for forensic analysis.    -   Any one of these faults will cause the incident to be marked        invalid.    -   Acute medical personnel are informed of data faults, assuming        connectivity to RNL.

These are the control measures and behaviors that trace directly to thehazard analysis for data compromised faults, in one embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 32 illustrates a EMS communications interface device clientarchitecture, according to embodiments of the present invention. In somecases, Zango connectivity to RNL may be volatile as a result of thenature of wireless communications in mobile environments. For example,an E Series equipped with a Zango card may be moved out of range of thewireless access point to which it had been connected. When the device isback in range and reconnects, processing resumes as illustrated. Datawritten by the E Series while not connected to RNL is persisted in theZango database and can be obtained in RNL upon re-connect, according toembodiments of the present invention.

The upper row of boxes in FIG. 32 identify detection and error handlingprocesses for risk control of compromised data faults and communicationsfaults. Integrity or framing faults detected on the streamed data resultin the following behaviors, according to embodiments of the presentinvention:

-   -   Data is marked as invalid.    -   Invalid data is not rendered for a user to view during the acute        treatment phase of an incident    -   Data is stored marked as invalid for forensic analysis.    -   Either of these faults will cause the incident to marked        invalid.    -   Acute medical personnel are informed of data faults for either        12 leads or case frames.    -   Acute medical personnel are informed of communications faults.    -   Acute medical personnel are informed of service faults.

Service responses are validated and invalid service responses arenotified to the user and invalid data is not displayed, according toembodiments of the present invention. Connectivity status between Zangoand the Zango Stream Channel Receiver is monitored and reported to userson the Mobile Link Display. Lost connectivity between Zango and RNL doesnot result in lost data as Zango stores data in the Zango databaseregardless of connection status. Service channel connectivity is notcontinuously monitored, service requests will fail (response invalid) ifservice connectivity is not present.

FIGS. 33-37 illustrate various embodiments of screen shots available asviewed by the enterprise user 124 via the enterprise workstation 122,according to embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 33 illustratesan enterprise display and graphical user interface shown when theenterprise user selects the patient monitoring button (e.g. the “ZollDefib” button), according to embodiments of the present invention. FIG.34 illustrates an enterprise display and graphical user interface shownwhen the enterprise user selects the patient charting button (e.g. the“ePCR” button), according to embodiments of the present invention. FIG.35 illustrates an enterprise display and graphical user interface shownwhen the enterprise user selects the navigation button, according toembodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 36 illustrates an alternative enterprise display and graphical userinterface shown when the enterprise user selects the navigation button,according to embodiments of the present invention. The display of FIG.36 would correspond to a display created when the BOA device 104 is notcommunicably coupled with a navigation device; hence, in this situation,the enterprise display lists the positional and/or navigationinformation as input by the BOA 104 user. FIG. 37 illustrates anenterprise display and graphical user interface shown when theenterprise user selects the patch notes button, according to embodimentsof the present invention. According to some embodiments of the presentinvention, the EMS technician 114 who is interacting with the BOA device104 need not select the patch notes screen and relay the information tothe enterprise user 124; instead, the enterprise user may select thepatch notes button via the enterprise workstation 122 to observe thesame information.

FIGS. 38-44 illustrate additional examples of screen shots displayed byBOA device 104, according to embodiments of the present invention. FIG.38 illustrates a display and graphical user interface displayed when theuser selects the patient charting button of a BOA menu template,according to embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 39 illustrates adisplay and graphical user interface displayed when the user selects thepatient monitoring button of a BOA menu template, according toembodiments of the present invention. As illustrated by the thumbnailtwelve-lead image in the bottom left corner, this BOA device 104 may beconfigured to display historical snapshots of past twelve-lead data,according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 40 illustrates a display and graphical user interface displayedwhen the user selects the navigation button of a BOA menu template,according to embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 41 illustratesan alternative display and graphical user interface displayed when theuser selects the navigation button of a BOA menu template, in situationsin which a navigation device 110 is not communicably coupled to the BOAdevice 104. In such situations, the screen of FIG. 41 is configured topermit a user to manually select a destination, as well as select anestimated time of arrival, according to embodiments of the presentinvention. This information may be replicated or otherwise transmittedto the corresponding enterprise view (e.g. FIG. 36), according toembodiments of the present invention.

FIGS. 38-44 illustrate that a “shift start” button maybe included on theBOA device 104 interface. The shift start button may be used, forexample, at the beginning of a shift, in order to permit the EMStechnician or other user to communicably couple the BOA device 104 withother devices, according to embodiments of the present invention. FIG.42 illustrates a display and graphical user interface displayed when theuser selects the shift start button of a BOA menu template, according toembodiments of the present invention. In this screen, the user ispermitted to select a navigation device, a defibrillator device, and apatient charting device; in this screen, the user is also able toconfirm the identities of the devices to which the BOA device 104 isalready communicably coupled, as indicated in this particular example bya checkmark next to the device name, according to embodiments of thepresent invention.

FIG. 43 illustrates an alternative display and graphical user interfacedisplayed when the user selects the shift start button of a BOA menutemplate, according to embodiments of the present invention. In thisalternative display, the BOA device 104 has sensed that a navigationdevice 110 is not available or is disconnected, and thus prompts theuser to identify the EMS transport unit and/or the crew members presentwith the unit. This information may be used in the correspondingnavigation screens for the BOA device (FIG. 41) and the enterpriseenvironment 102 (FIG. 36). FIG. 44 illustrates a display and graphicaluser interface displayed when the user selects the patch notes button ofa BOA menu template, according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 62 illustrates a system for role-based data feeds from a BOA deviceto EMS technician mobile devices, according to embodiments of thepresent invention. BOA device 104 receives streaming ECG data and otherdata from the patient monitoring device 106, which may be accomplishedwirelessly via an EMS communications interface device 2000 as describedabove, according to embodiments of the present invention. The BOA device104 displays such information on a screen such as the screen illustratedin FIG. 45.

FIG. 45 illustrates a display and graphical user interface displayedwhen the user selects a live patient data button of a BOA menu template,according to embodiments of the present invention. This display includesa list of interventions, a display of patient information, a display ofchief complaint, an ECG wave form and/or an SpO2 waveform, as well as abutton console (shown as extending vertically on the right side of thescreen) listing buttons for available patient interventions, accordingto embodiments of the present invention. The intervention button consolemay be dynamic and/or color-coded. The intervention button console mayalso include timers.

For example, when a patient's airway is checked, the EMS technicianactivates (e.g. pushes or touches) the “patient airway” button on theintervention button console. The button activates and displays a timer,which counts down to the next time when the patient's airways should bechecked. This amount of time may be customized by the user and/orpreprogrammed into the BOA module operating the BOA device 104 based onestablished treatment protocols for the locale in which the patient istreated. Color may also be used; for example, the buttons of theintervention button console may be normally gray, and the “patientairway” button may turn yellow as soon as the button is pushed and thetimer activated. The button may turn red within a predetermined amountof time before expiry of the timer, for example one minute before theexpiration of the time period being timed. For example, a user may lookat the intervention button console of FIG. 45 and see that doses of Epiand Atropine have recently been administered, because those buttons areyellow and their timers activated, while also seeing that the patient'sairway was previously checked and is about ready to be checked again,because that button is red. This permits the EMS technician to rapidlyvisually assess which interventions have been made, as well as whichinterventions should (or may, according to protocol) be considered inthe near future, for any point in time.

Different EMS technicians may have different roles to play in an EMSscenario, based on their training or qualifications, the number ofavailable technicians, and the status of the patient. In the same way, asingle EMS technician may need to play multiple roles in an EMSencounter. Such EMS technicians may more effectively and efficientlyperform their corresponding tasks if they are presented only with theinformation related to their particular role, such that they do not seeextraneous information which they must mentally process and filter, andsuch that they are not presented with decision-making or data inputoptions that do not apply to their role. One way in which suchrole-based information delivery may be accomplished is by providing eachEMS technician with a mobile device with software configured to permitan interface with a BOA device 104 based on the user's role.

FIG. 62 illustrates examples of such mobile devices communicably coupledto BOA device 104, including a lead medic mobile device 620, drug medicmobile device 622, airway medic mobile device 624, and CPR medic mobiledevice 626, according to embodiments of the present invention. Accordingto embodiments of the present invention, each mobile device 620, 622,624, 626 includes a WiFi transceiver that communicates wirelessly with aWiFi transceiver of BOA device 104.

FIG. 46 illustrates a start screen for a role-based EMS technicianmobile device 620 in communication with a BOA device 104, according toembodiments of the present invention. The software instructionscontained on the mobile device render this start screen to permit themedic to identify the IP Address, send port, receive port, medic name,and medic role, according to embodiments of the present invention. FIG.47 illustrates a role selection screen for a role-based EMS technicianmobile device in communication with a BOA device, according toembodiments of the present invention. A checkmark next to the“Medic—Lead” listing indicates that the user of the mobile device is thelead medic. According to embodiments of the present invention, apassword or other authentication may be required in order to restrictrole based on identity.

FIG. 48 illustrates a lead medic quick log screen for a role-based EMStechnician mobile device in communication with a BOA device, accordingto embodiments of the present invention. The mobile device may beconfigured to display a list of menu options, for example the menuoptions shown extending horizontally along the bottom of the screen ofFIG. 48 permit the lead medic to choose Quick Log, ECG Graph, PatientData, Chief Complaint, and Medic Role. These options may differ basedthe user's role. When the lead medic clicks on the Quick Log tab, thelead medic is presented with an intervention button panel, according toembodiments of the present invention. The quick log tab displayreplicates the intervention button console of the BOA live ECG displayof FIG. 45, such that when a lead medic pushes an intervention button onthe mobile device via the screen of FIG. 48, the same button (andcorresponding timer and/or color) is indicated as being activated in theBOA display screen of FIG. 45, and vice versa, according to embodimentsof the present invention.

FIG. 49 illustrates a lead medic ECG graph screen for a role-based EMStechnician mobile device in communication with a BOA device, accordingto embodiments of the present invention, which is displayed for the leadmedic when the lead medic selects the ECG graph menu button. Because thelead medic's role typically requires a broad swath of patientinformation, the lead medic ECG graph screen essentially recreates thepatient data display screen of the BOA device 104 of FIG. 45, accordingto embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 50 illustrates a leadmedic patient data screen, which permits the lead medic to enter patientinformation, including the patient's name and gender, according toembodiments of the present invention. FIG. 51 illustrates a lead medicchief complaint screen which permits the lead medic to identify thepatient's chief complaint, according to embodiments of the presentinvention.

FIG. 52 illustrates a drug medic quick log screen and FIG. 53illustrates a drug medic ECG graph screen for a medic who has identifiedhis or her role as drug medic, according to embodiments of the presentinvention. Because the medic has identified a role of drug medic, thequick log screen presents only a subset of the interventions whichrelate to drugs, according to embodiments of the present invention.Although the drug medic role accesses only a subset of the full set ofintervention buttons, the same intervention buttons are tied togetheracross the entire platform, according to embodiments of the presentinvention. For example, if the drug medic indicates that a dose ofatropine has been given by tapping the atropine intervention button onhis mobile device 622, the atropine button will turn yellow asactivated, and begin a timer, not only on his mobile device 622, butalso on atropine buttons of the quick log screen of the lead medicdevice 620 and on the intervention button console of the BOA device 104display, as well as any other devices whose quick log screens includethe atropine intervention button, according to embodiments of thepresent invention.

FIG. 54 illustrates a role selection screen in which an airway medicrole has been identified (e.g. by tapping or otherwise selecting thatoption on the mobile device 624). FIG. 55 illustrates an airway medicECG graph screen, and FIG. 56 illustrates an airway medic quick logscreen listing the subset of interventions that relate to the airwaymedic's role, according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 57 illustrates a CPR medic quick log screen illustrating a subsetof interventions that relate to the CPR medic's role, according toembodiments of the present invention. FIG. 58 illustrates a CPR medicECG graph screen during idle for a role-based EMS technician mobiledevice in communication with a BOA device, according to embodiments ofthe present invention. FIGS. 59-61 illustrate a CPR medic ECG graphscreen during administration of compressions, which do not show the ECGwave form but instead show measurement and/or evaluation of chestcompressions (because the CPR medic is concerned primarily withresuscitation), according to embodiments of the present invention. TheCPR feedback provided by the screen interface of FIGS. 58-61 may takemany different forms. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 59, verticallydescending bars may be used to represent depth of each chestcompression, spaced horizontally in a manner along a time axis. Thechest compression bars descend from an axis toward another set of axes,which specify the desirable or optimal range of depth for each chestcompression. A qualitative indicator bar, shown in the upper right,gives the user a combined visual feedback relating to depth and rate ofchest compressions; a full box means that both the rate and depth arewithin desired limits. The letter “R” on FIG. 58 indicates a potentialalert regarding the rate of the chest compressions, and the letter “D”on FIG. 61 indicates a potential alert regarding the depth of chestcompressions, according to embodiments of the present invention.According to embodiments of the present invention, the CPR feedbackscreen of device 626 provides information about the rate and volume ofpatient ventilation.

According to embodiments of the present invention, the patientmonitoring device 106 and/or EMS communications interface device 2000and/or the BOA device 104 includes a filtering mechanism (e.g. a circuitor processing instructions) that filters or removes chest compressioninterference from ECG signal data. Embodiments of the present inventionmay include a device or utilize a method similar to those described inU.S. Pat. No. 7,295,871, issued Nov. 13, 2007, which is incorporated byreference herein. Embodiments of the present invention may also employReal CPR Help® technology available from Zoll Medical Corporation.

The use of role-based information delivery and intervention trackingpermits a more efficient EMS treatment scenario by filtering data basedon role, according to embodiments of the present invention. For example,the drug medic, airway medic, and CPR medic do not have menu tabselections available for patient data entry or for chief complaintentry, while the lead medic has those options.

Although only four mobile devices 620, 622, 624, and 626 are shown inFIG. 62, the BOA device 104 may communicably couple with a greater orfewer number of role-based mobile devices. Also, although particularintervention options and data feed displays are shown as being relatedto particular roles, one of ordinary skill in the art, based on thepresent disclosure, will appreciate the numerous different roles thatmay be identified and implemented, as well as the numerous differentdata feeds and/or options that may be associated with each role.Further, mobile devices (e.g. 620) may be configured to communicablycouple with multiple BOA devices 104 and/or to receive information formultiple patients from the same BOA device 104, to permit the medic totoggle between various patient data feeds and/or to treat differentpatients, possibly in different roles, according to embodiments of thepresent invention.

According to embodiments of the present invention, the software modulesand hardware contained within the BOA device 104 for feeding the data toand from the mobile devices 620 may be consolidated into an EMScommunications interface device 2000, and/or directly into a patientmonitoring device 106.

FIGS. 63 and 64 illustrate an EMS communications interface device 631which may be used as an alternative to device 2000 (described above) forenabling one- or two-way communication between a patient monitoring orclinical device 106 and the BOA system 104 or other devices such as anenterprise application server 128 through the network 120, according toembodiments of the present invention. Existing defibrillator devicessometimes permit a serial cable connection to an information system forlimited information transfer, but are not typically able to providestreaming data about a patient to other devices, or stream patient datavia Wi-Fi, or provide transparent, easy-to-use, and automatic linking ofinformation to one or more devices within an EMS setting, such as anemergency transport vehicle 101.

FIG. 63 illustrates a system 630 which includes a carrier assembly 631that is able to receive clinical patient data from a processor 640 on amonitor board assembly 632 of a defibrillator device, according toembodiments of the present invention. Although the carrier assembly 631is described as operating with a defibrillator device to receive,process, store, and transmit information, one of ordinary skill in theart will appreciate, based on the present disclosure, that the carrierassembly 631 may be used in conjunction with patient monitoring andtreatment devices other than defibrillator devices. Normally, the dataprocessed and results or graphics generated by the processor 640 arestored locally on the defibrillator device or displayed locally on thedefibrillator device. Without the EMS communications interface device631, a user can make a copy of the internally stored data to a portablememory device (e.g. a USB memory stick) which can then be physicallytransported to a processing device with an appropriate application forpost-case viewing. The user is unable to view, store, display, or usethe information from the defibrillator in other devices during theactual monitoring or treatment of the patient. Thus, being able toretrieve case data about patient encounters long after the encounter hasended, does not facilitate instantaneous, streaming, and/or real-timecommunication among EMS clinical and non-clinical devices.

The EMS communications interface device 631 thus is communicably coupledwith the processor 640 of the defibrillator, so that it can receiveclinical data from the processor as the clinical data is generated,and/or as the patient monitoring progresses. The EMS communicationsinterface device 631 includes a processor 633, which may be a SOMprocessor, which is communicably coupled with processor 640 via one ormore connections or types of information exchange, for example a generalpurpose input/output (GPIO) line 635, a universal asynchronousreceiver-transmitter (UART) line 636, and/or a serial peripheralinterface (SPI) line 637, according to embodiments of the presentinvention. In some embodiments, GPIO line 635 does not convey data, butonly conveys state information for the synchronization with SOMprocessor 633. The EMS communications interface device 631 may include aflash memory storage element 645, and also includes or is communicablycoupled with a GPS and antenna assembly 634. The SOM processor 633 mayalso include a USB Host line 638 which may connect to an external USBhub 639 and/or to devices such as a USB to Ethernet Adapter 642, acellular modem 643, and/or an external flash drive 644, according toembodiments of the present invention. The SOM processor 633 may alsoinclude a USB connection to a docking connection station 641 to permitdocking of another device with the USB ports of the two devices. Adebugging assembly 646 is shown as an optional assembly for testingpurposes.

FIG. 64 illustrates an information flow diagram among software moduleswhich may implement the communication functionality described withrespect to FIG. 63, according to embodiments of the present invention.FIG. 64 illustrates three different software domains 650, 651, 652which, although they correspond roughly to the hardware domainsdescribed with respect to FIG. 63, may include executable instructionscontained on, and/or processors contained on, a wide array of deviceseither locally or remotely, and may also include processing stepscarried out on a distributed array of devices, according to embodimentsof the present invention.

The monitor domain 650 illustrates modules operating with respect todefibrillator and/or patient monitoring device functionality, accordingto embodiments of the present invention. For example, the user interfacemodule 649 includes various modules that permit the defibrillator and/orpatient monitoring device user, interacting via the defibrillatorinterface screen and/or buttons, to view data and/or make selections.The operations configuration module 653 permits a user to configure theoperational setting of the data transmission; for example, module 653permits the user to configure the settings for WiFi operations, bluetooth operations, cellular operations, and connections to enterprisestorage servers 126, among other configuration settings. This settinginformation is sent to a communications operation manager 666 whichsends the information via network interface 667 to the CP operationcontroller 675. The CP operation controller 675 works with the externalclient services manager 676 and the communication session manager 673 toenable the transmission modes for use by other managers in the EMScommunications interface device 631.

The streaming data sender module 665 receives input from a logger module661, a trend manager module 662, a snapshot manager 663, and a twelvelead manager 664, according to embodiments of the present invention. Thelogger module receives patient events such as vital measurementreadings, changes in alarm state, defibrillation actions, and logs themin local persistent memory and sends them to the streaming data sender.The trend manager module captures all patient vital sign information ona configured periodic basis, and records them in local persistent memoryas well as sending them to the streaming data sender. The snapshotmanager collects wave data associated with an event for a window of timearound the event. It also records the vital signs at the time of theevent. It stores all this data in local persistent memory as well assends it to the streaming data sender. The 12 Lead Manager captures theECG waveforms clinically known as a “12 Lead” along with analysis dataof the waveforms. It stores all this data in local persistent memory aswell as sends it to the streaming data sender. The streaming data sendertransmits the data it receives from each of these managers to theStreaming Data Distributor 668 on the communications interface device631.

As clinical data is generated by processor 640, a logger module 680pulls out data according to certain criteria and parses and/or saves thedata in partitions via flash interface 672, according to embodiments ofthe present invention. For example, portions of the clinical data may bestored, including a case index list, a disclosure log, a set of twelveleads gathered, a system log, and a trace log.

The communication status indicator module 655 displays to the user thecommunication status received from the communications operation managermodule 666. The report transmit control module 656 provides a GraphicalUser Interface (GUI) so the user can select reports, such as 12 leaddata reports, and initiate the transmission of such reports to anexternal receiver. This is accomplished by sending a control message tothe comm operation manager 666 which sends it through the serial networkinterface 667 to the comm operation controller 675. The comm operationcontroller 675 then invokes the report sender which reads the stored 12lead data from the database and transmits it to the requested externaldestination. The device data management module provides a GUI controlmenu so a user can select patient full disclosure records or log recordsfor transmission to external devices, and initiate such transmissions.This is accomplished by sending a control message to the comm operationmanager 666 which sends it through the serial network interface 667 tothe comm operation controller 675. The comm operation controller 675then invokes the case upload manager which reads the case data from thedatabase and formats and transmits the data through the networkinterface to the requested external device. A device image managementcontrol module 658 permits the user to manage various images captured bythe defibrillator device. A case viewer module 659 permits a user toretrieve and display various logged clinical data via flash interface672, according to embodiments of the present invention.

Once the clinical data is received by the streaming data distributor 668in the carrier processor domain 651, the streaming data distributor 668sends the patient data to a full disclosure manager 669 and creates apatient case record in the master table manager 674, according toembodiments of the present invention. These three modules 668, 669, 674may be referred to as the streaming data handler 684. The streaming datahandler 684 processes the raw clinical data from the defibrillatorprocessor 640, and stores the data for later retrieval, and/or forconcurrent or snapshot retrieval, according to embodiments of thepresent invention. According to one embodiment of the present invention,the streaming data handler 684 causes the clinical data arriving fromthe defibrillator to be stored in flash memory substantially in the sameform as it arrives. According to another embodiment of the presentinvention, the streaming data handler 684 frames the streaming data, forexample in a manner similar to that described above with respect toFIGS. 22 and 23. According to other embodiments of the presentinvention, the streaming data handler 684 sorts the data, and/or picksout selected portions of the data for storage and later streaming(either real-time, substantially real-time, or time-delayed), or forlater querying and retrieval, via the wireless and/or USB communicationsinterfaces.

The various software modules and hardware components permit the EMScommunications interface device 631 to send data via an InternetProtocol (IP) to a backend server module 670 in the external clientdomain 652 (e.g. servers 126 or 128), and/or to a subscribing devicemodule 671 (e.g. BOA system 104 and/or patient charting device 108),according to embodiments of the present invention.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the backend server126, 128 and/or BOA device 104 permit a user to view and display, in aremote environment such as the back of an ambulance and/or at anenterprise workstation 122, historical snapshots of patient clinicaldata. This historical snapshot data may be viewed and/or accessed duringthe same clinical encounter in which it was collected. Such data may beretrieved and/or displayed according to certain criteria, including forexample a period of time.

The backend server module 670 may for example include a twelve leadand/or trend view module 686 which permits accessing of patienttwelve-lead data, according to embodiments of the present invention. Forexample, if an EMS technician 114 is looking at a display of a patient's12-lead ECG from ten seconds ago, the technician 114 may request to vieweach 12-lead ECG taken within the last ten minutes, or one 12-lead foreach minute of the last ten minutes, in order to better understand howthe patient's 12-lead portrayal has changed over that ten-minute period.FIG. 65 illustrates one example of a user interface that may be used todisplay snapshot 12-lead ECG data, according to embodiments of thepresent invention. According to some embodiments of the presentinvention, 12 leads are not continually streamed or provided, but areavailable when requested. For example, there may be one 12-lead for eachminute if requested by the user.

This display may be displayed on BOA device 104, for example. The mostrecently acquired 12-lead portrayal is displayed in the main position692, while previous 12-leads acquired in the past appear as smallergraphics or thumbnails along the bottom of the display, as illustratedin FIG. 65. In the example shown, the thumbnail for the more recentlyacquired 12-lead appears on the right, while each thumbnail toward theleft represents successively earlier snapshots of the patient's 12-leadsignal. According to some embodiments of the present invention, thethumbnails of historical 12-lead snapshots are themselves readable andlegible on the display. According to some embodiments, when a userselects or touches or clicks on a 12-lead thumbnail image, the selected12-lead is enlarged and displayed in the main position 692. In suchcases, the display may be configured to indicate to the user that thecurrently displayed 12-lead image is not the most recently acquired; forexample, the background color may change to red when a historicalsnapshot 12-lead is positioned in the main display 692, while changingback to gray or white when the most recently acquired 12-lead ispositioned in the main display position 692. A time notification 704 mayalso be displayed to indicate the time and/or date of the currentlydisplayed or currently enlarged 12-lead capture, according toembodiments of the present invention.

The buttons 694 and 702 may be pushed or selected in order to advancethe line of thumbnails forward or backward in time, for example one byone, according to embodiments of the present invention. The doublearrows button 696 may be pushed or activated in order to advance theline of thumbnails to show the most recently acquired 12-lead in theright-most position of the thumbnails, and the double arrows button 698may be pushed or activated in order to advance the line of thumbnails toshow the oldest acquired 12-lead (in the left-most position of thethumbnails), according to embodiments of the present invention. Thedouble arrows 696, 698 may alternatively operate to transition data in apaged manner, such that pressing the double arrow buttons 696, 698shifts the view to the next set of thumbnails (e.g. if four thumbnailsare shown, the next page includes the next chronological set of fourthumbnails). The thumbnails may also be arranged chronologically in theopposite direction.

The user interface may also include an input area permitting the user tospecify the time frame over which the 12-lead thumbnails are displayed,or to otherwise sort or narrow the thumbnail display, according toembodiments of the present invention. For example, slider bar 690 may beadjusted left or right to augment or shrink the time period over which12-lead thumbnails are displayed at the bottom of the screen. If thetime period is increased, then the display may be refreshed to includeadditional 12-lead thumbnails corresponding to the time period (e.g. byshrinking the size of each thumbnail to fit more on the screen, and/orby adding additional rows of thumbnails), or the size of each thumbnailmay remain the same but the system selects a representative thumbnailfrom periodic subsets of the total set of 12-leads satisfying the timecriteria, according to embodiments of the present invention. Otherfilters for the 12-lead dataset may include a clinical event filter, ora user-requested filter. And although 12-lead snapshot datasets areillustrated, a similar display and user interface process may beemployed for other sets of clinical and/or non-clinical data, accordingto embodiments of the present invention. The SOM processor 633 mayfurther be configured to receive, store, and transmit audio and videodata, such as, for example, audio and video stream data, to externalsubscribed devices such as BOA system 104, according to embodiments ofthe present invention.

The display may also include a bookmark button 706 which permits aparticular 12-lead representation to be flagged for later easyretrieval. In some embodiments, a thumbnail may be selected and draggedover to the bookmark button in order to bookmark the particularthumbnail. Another button (not shown) may permit the display to befiltered to show only bookmarked 12-lead images. According to someembodiments of the present invention, each 12-lead thumbnail displayincludes the date and time when it was recorded.

The display and user interface of FIG. 65 may also be available to anenterprise user 124 via an enterprise workstation 122, such that adoctor or other healthcare professional at a remote location (e.g. thehospital) can view thumbnails and historical clinical data for a patientwhile the patient is being transported and/or treated, for example via aweb browser interface, prior to the patient arriving at the hospital.According to one embodiment of the present invention, the BOA device 104screen and/or the enterprise workstation 122 may view more than onepatient on the same screen, and/or tiled or split screens containingsimilar information for multiple patients, in order to track activityacross the spectrum of units in service, and/or to handle a masscasualty situation.

In some embodiments, the BOA device 104 or other external device mayquery any 12-lead snapshot data set contained on the communicationsinterface device 631 and subsequently process, sort, and/or filter thedata; in other embodiments, the SOM processor 633 has already sorted,filtered, and/or selected the appropriate or most relevant 12-leadimages and/or sets of data, which the BOA device 104 or other externaldevice may access and display more rapidly, without having to do its ownprocessing on the data.

According to embodiments of the present invention, the SOM processor 633formats the raw data received from the defibrillator according to an XMLschema, which may be requested by subscribed devices and supplied as anXML object over internet protocol connections. FIG. 66 illustrates oneexample of a Full Disclosure Record schema, with each childcorresponding to a particular kind of data. FIG. 67 illustrates adiagram of the 12LeadRecord element of the Full Disclosure record ofFIG. 66. According to some embodiments, clinical EMS information istransmitted by EMS communications interface device 631 in a customizedXML format; according to other embodiments, EMS communications interfacedevice 631 stores and can transmit EMS information from the patientmonitoring device 106 according to a defined standard, such as theNational EMS Information System (NEMSIS) standard format. According toembodiments of the present invention, the data received by device 631over the serial connection with processor 640 is stored in an SQLitedatabase, with each case forming a separate file, along with a casedirectory database table managed by the master table manager 674 whichtracks each case stored on the device 631.

Devices can connect with system 630, and particularly system 631, inseveral ways. For example, a device (e.g. BOA device 104) can connect tosystem 631 via a “back office” enterprise server, such as server 126 or128 (see FIG. 1). System 631 can establish a connection with servers126, 128 in several ways, for example: using a USB cellular modem 643plugged directly into USB port 639, which is also connected to anInternet Service Provider, or using a Bluetooth® connection to acellular device (e.g. a phone) that can then connect to an InternetService Provider, or using a Wi-Fi connection to a cellular modem thatcan then connect to an Internet Service Provider. In each case, a dataconnection is made over a cellular link to the carrier's InternetService Provider, and then EMS communications interface device 631 usesstandard communication Internet Protocols to connect with, authenticate,and interact with the server 126, 128, according to embodiments of thepresent invention.

As another example, an external device (e.g. BOA 104 and/or patientcharting device 108) can use a discovery protocol, for examplemDNS/DNS-SD, to probe a local system 631 to determine which dataservices it provides. The external device would then form a TCP/IPconnection to that service on the communication interface system 631.According to embodiments of the present invention, each communicationinterface system 631 has a unique IP socket address. Both thecommunication interface system 631 and the external device would thenauthenticate each other to permit bi-directional commands, responses,and data flow. This data flow may occur in XML format over a TCP/IPprotocol, for example. This discovery protocol could also operate inreverse, such that the communications interface device 631 could probeexternal devices (e.g. BOA 104) and connect to services on thosedevices, according to embodiments of the present invention. In theseways, external devices may be connected to and receive streaming datafrom device 631 over a wireless local area network (e.g. a Wi-Finetwork).

According to some embodiments of the present invention, the 12 lead datais sent by the streaming data sender 665 as it occurs to the streamingdata handler 684 where it is stored. The BOA device 104 may perform adiscover operation to determine that the CP device 631 supports 12 leadupdates. The BOA may then connect to that service supplied by the device631, and specifically by the report sender, and a persistent connectionis formed, according to embodiments of the present invention. Any timethe report sender is notified that a new 12 lead has been stored, thereport sender will use the established connection to the BOA to send thelatest report in the appropriate XML format, according to embodiments ofthe present invention.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, the patientmonitoring device 106 is a defibrillator, or some other device whichincludes an audio sensor or acoustic cardiograph sensor for recordingand/or monitoring and/or retransmitting heart sounds of a patient. Suchdevice may be, for example, an Audicor® acoustic cardiography monitor.In such cases, the audio signal or other acoustic information may betransmitted from the defibrillator monitor board assembly 632 to the SOMprocessor 633 of the EMS communications interface device 631, forexample in streaming fashion, which may then be streamed to anotherdevice via Wi-Fi and/or Bluetooth® and/or some other protocol. Anelectronic stethoscope device may subscribe to and/or connect with EMScommunications interface device 631 and be configured to query and/orreceive the patient's streaming audio or acoustic information. This maypermit a clinician to listen to heart sounds of a patient wirelessly,and even remotely, via a Bluetooth® or other IP information stream. Thesound data may be transmitted to remote users for online consultation orcase review, according to embodiments of the present invention. Such adevice may be a 3M™ Littmann® Electronic Stethoscope, which may be usedin this way for real time, or clinical time, tele-auscultation.

The EMS device communications interface 631 may also be used to exchangenon-clinical data with the patient monitoring device. According to otherembodiments of the present invention, an external device may connectwith communications interface device 631 to run a diagnostic test or toinstall a software update on the underlying patient monitoring device632. According to yet other embodiments of the present invention, anexternal device may broadcast the availability of a software update toall subscribing communications interface devices 631, for example thoseassociated with defibrillator devices, which will then alert a user ofthe devices that an update is available and guide the user throughinstallation. An external device may also connect with communicationsinterface device 631 in order to update the settings or userconfiguration parameters of the underlying device; for example, BOAdevice 104 may connect with a defibrillator device 106 at the beginningof each shift in order to change the user configuration settings tomatch the preferred settings of the active crew member who most recentlylogged into the system.

Various modifications and additions can be made to the exemplaryembodiments discussed without departing from the scope of the presentinvention. For example, while the embodiments described above refer toparticular features, the scope of this invention also includesembodiments having different combinations of features and embodimentsthat do not include all of the described features. Accordingly, thescope of the present invention is intended to embrace all suchalternatives, modifications, and variations as fall within the scope ofthe claims, together with all equivalents thereof.

What is claimed is:
 1. A communications interface device for makingavailable information collected by a patient monitoring device, thecommunications interface device comprising: an asset management databaseconfigured to store framed data comprising the information collected bythe patient monitoring device; a transceiver configured to transmitinformation via wireless communications; and a processor electricallycoupled via an integrated circuit to the asset management database andthe transceiver, the processor configured to: receive streaming fulldisclosure data from a patient monitoring device module that processesthe full disclosure data, streams the full disclosure data to theprocessor, and operates the patient monitoring device, wherein theprocessor is interposed between the patient monitoring device module andthe transceiver, format the full disclosure data into a plurality offull disclosure data frames, each full disclosure data frame of theplurality of full disclosure data frames associated with an incidentidentifier that identifies an emergency medical services (EMS) incidentduring which the full disclosure data was gathered, store the pluralityof full disclosure data frames to the asset management database,receive, via the transceiver, a first request to retrieve a subset ofthe full disclosure data during monitoring or treatment of a patient bythe patient monitoring device, receive, via the transceiver, a secondrequest for data delivery of frames associated with error codesgenerated by the patient monitoring device, in response to the firstrequest, retrieve the subset of the full disclosure data from the assetmanagement database during the monitoring or treatment of the patient bythe patient monitoring device, the subset corresponding to specificincident-based data and comprising one or more frames of the pluralityof full disclosure data frames from the asset management database, inresponse to the first request, transmit to a first receiving device theretrieved subset of the full disclosure data from the patient monitoringdevice during the monitoring or treatment of the patient by the patientmonitoring device by the transceiver for transmission via the wirelesscommunications, in response to the second request, retrieve the framesassociated with the error codes generated by the patient monitoringdevice, and in response to the second request, transmit to a secondreceiving device the frames associated with the error codes generated bythe patient monitoring device, wherein the communications interfacedevice interfaces with the patient monitoring device in the patientmonitoring device, is powered by the patient monitoring device, and doesnot comprise a keyboard and a display, and wherein the informationcollected by the patient monitoring device comprises patient monitoringinformation and the error codes generated by the patient monitoringdevice.
 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the first request comprises aspecific incident identifier associated with a specific EMS incident,and wherein the processor is configured to retrieve the subset of thefull disclosure data based on the specific incident identifier.
 3. Thedevice of claim 1, wherein the patient monitoring device is adefibrillator.
 4. The device of claim 3 wherein the subset of the fulldisclosure data comprises one or more electrocardiogram (ECG) waveforms.5. The device of claim 1 wherein each full disclosure data frame of theplurality of full disclosure data frames is associated with a block oftime.
 6. The device of claim 1, wherein the transceiver is a WiFitransceiver.
 7. The device of claim 1, wherein the transceiver is aBluetooth transceiver.
 8. The device of claim 1, wherein thecommunications interface device interfaces with the patient monitoringdevice in the patient monitoring device via a serial interface, andwherein the processor receives the streaming full disclosure data viathe serial interface.
 9. The device of claim 8 wherein the processor iscommunicably coupled to at least one buffer and receives the streamingfull disclosure data from the patient monitoring device module via theat least one buffer.
 10. The device of claim 1 wherein the fulldisclosure data comprises all the patient monitoring informationrecorded by the patient monitoring device.
 11. The device of claim 1wherein the full disclosure data comprises one or more of patient vitalsigns, twelve-lead data, audio information, ECG information, lead type,gain, defibrillator shock information, system mode, paddle type, heartrate alarm status, heart rate, configuration information, code markerinformation, non-invasive blood pressure measurements, patient name,patient identification, biphasic defibrillator data, invasive bloodpressure information, invasive blood pressure waveform data, temperaturedata, SpO₂ information, SpO₂ waveform, sample number information,accelerometer information, accelerometer waveform, impedance waveform,CPR field data, APLS waveform, and APLS compression detection.
 12. Thedevice of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to: in responseto the first request, retrieve only the subset of the full disclosuredata from the asset management database during the monitoring ortreatment of the patient by the patient monitoring device, the subsetcorresponding to the specific incident-based data and comprising the oneor more frames of the plurality of full disclosure data frames from theasset management database, in response to the first request, transmit tothe first receiving device only the retrieved subset of the fulldisclosure data from the patient monitoring device during the monitoringor treatment of the patient by the patient monitoring device by thetransceiver for transmission via the wireless communications, inresponse to the second request, retrieve only the frames associated withthe error codes generated by the patient monitoring device, and inresponse to the second request, transmit to the second receiving deviceonly the frames associated with the error codes generated by the patientmonitoring device.
 13. A method for making available informationcollected by a patient monitoring device, the method comprising:receiving, at a processor of a communications interface device,streaming full disclosure data from a patient monitoring device modulethat processes the full disclosure data, streams the full disclosuredata to the processor, and operates the patient monitoring device,wherein the processor is interposed between the patient monitoringdevice module and a transceiver and wherein the processor iselectrically coupled via an integrated circuit to an asset managementdatabase and the transceiver, formatting, by the processor, the fulldisclosure data into a plurality of full disclosure data frames, each ofthe plurality of full disclosure data frames associated with an incidentidentifier that identifies an EMS incident during which the fulldisclosure data was gathered; storing, by the processor, the pluralityof full disclosure data frames to the asset management database;receiving, by the processor via the transceiver, a first request toretrieve a subset of the full disclosure data during monitoring ortreatment of a patient by the patient monitoring device; receiving, bythe processor via the transceiver, a second request for data delivery offrames associated with error codes generated by the patient monitoringdevice, in response to the first request, retrieving, by the processor,the subset of the full disclosure data from the asset managementdatabase during the monitoring or treatment of the patient by thepatient monitoring device, the subset corresponding to specificincident-based data and comprising one or more frames of the pluralityof full disclosure data frames from the asset management database; inresponse to the second request, retrieving the frames associated withthe error codes generated by the patient monitoring device, in responseto the first request, transmitting to a first receiving device thesubset of the full disclosure data from the patient monitoring deviceduring the monitoring or treatment of the patient by the patientmonitoring device by the transceiver for transmission via wirelesscommunications, and in response to the second request, transmitting to asecond receiving device the frames associated with the error codesgenerated by the patient monitoring device, wherein the communicationsinterface device interfaces with the patient monitoring device in thepatient monitoring device, is powered by the patient monitoring device,and does not comprise a keyboard and a display, and wherein theinformation collected by the patient monitoring device comprises patientmonitoring information and the error codes generated by the patientmonitoring device.
 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first requestcomprises a specific incident identifier associated with a specific EMSincident, the method comprising retrieving, by the processor, the subsetof the full disclosure data based on the specific incident identifier.15. The method of claim 13, wherein the formatting the full disclosuredata into the plurality of full disclosure data frames comprisesformatting one or more ECG waveforms into the plurality of fulldisclosure data frames.
 16. The method of claim 13 wherein each fulldisclosure data frame of the plurality of full disclosure data frames isassociated with a block of time.
 17. The method of claim 13, wherein thepatient monitoring device is a defibrillator.
 18. The method of claim 17wherein the subset of the full disclosure data comprises one or moreelectrocardiogram (ECG) waveforms.
 19. The method of claim 13, whereinthe communications interface device interfaces with the patientmonitoring device in the patient monitoring device via a serialinterface, and wherein the receiving the streaming full disclosure datacomprises receiving the streaming full disclosure data via the serialinterface.
 20. The method of claim 19 wherein the processor iscommunicably coupled to at least one buffer and the receiving thestreaming full disclosure data comprises receiving the streaming fulldisclosure data via the at least one buffer.
 21. The method of claim 13wherein the full disclosure data comprises all the patient monitoringinformation recorded by the patient monitoring device.
 22. The method ofclaim 13 wherein the full disclosure data comprises one or more ofpatient vital signs, twelve-lead data, audio information, ECGinformation, lead type, gain, defibrillator shock information, systemmode, paddle type, heart rate alarm status, heart rate, configurationinformation, code marker information, non-invasive blood pressuremeasurements, patient name, patient identification, biphasicdefibrillator data, invasive blood pressure information, invasive bloodpressure waveform data, temperature data, SpO₂ information, SpO₂waveform, sample number information, accelerometer information,accelerometer waveform, impedance waveform, CPR field data, APLSwaveform, and APLS compression detection.
 23. The method of claim 13,comprising: in response to the first request, retrieving, by theprocessor, only the subset of the full disclosure data from the assetmanagement database during the monitoring or treatment of the patient bythe patient monitoring device, the subset corresponding to the specificincident-based data and comprising the one or more frames of theplurality of full disclosure data frames from the asset managementdatabase; in response to the second request, retrieving only the framesassociated with the error codes generated by the patient monitoringdevice, in response to the first request, transmitting to the firstreceiving device only the subset of the full disclosure data from thepatient monitoring device during the monitoring or treatment of thepatient by the patient monitoring device by the transceiver for thetransmission via wireless communications, and in response to the secondrequest, transmitting to the second receiving device only the framesassociated with the error codes generated by the patient monitoringdevice.